The American planemaker is celebrating another massive order for its 737 Max programme as the rapidly growing Vietnamese airline VietJet inks an order for 100 of the type.
This latest addition to the order book takes the commitment from VietJets for the 737 Max variety of twin jets to 200. Whilst the order had been arranged and agreed some time ago it was only announced with a public signing ceremony today in Hanoi, so United States President Donald Trump and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong could be there. The order is said to be worth $12.7 billion according to list prices, although the true value is estimated to be just over half that amount.
The deal includes 20 MAX 8s and 80 of the new, larger MAX 10 variant and in ordering 80 MAX 10s, Vietjet becomes the largest Asian customer of the aircraft type. The carrier plans to use the added capacity to meet growing demand across Vietnam, as well as to serve popular destinations throughout Asia.
"The deal for 200 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes today is an important move for us to keep up with our international flight network expansion plan with a higher capacity, thus offering our passengers with more exciting experiences when being able to fly to more new international destinations," said Madam Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo, President and CEO of Vietjet. "I believe that our fleet will have breakthroughs thanks to new-generation technologies, which helps improve flight quality and enhance operational reliability, while reducing operating costs in the future. Passengers will then have more opportunities to fly with reasonable fares. The contract signing ceremony, which is witnessed by the top leaders of Vietnam and the US on the occasion of the US-North Korea Summit in Hanoi, will mark a milestone in the two companies' growth path."
Vietjet placed its first order for 100 737 MAX airplanes in 2016, which set the mark for the largest commercial jet purchase in Vietnam's aviation sector at the time.
"We are pleased to expand our partnership with Vietjet and to support their impressive growth with new, advanced airplanes such as the 737 MAX. We are confident the MAX will help Vietjet grow more efficiently and provide great travel experiences for their passengers," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President & CEO Kevin McAllister. "The economic expansion in Hanoi and across Vietnam is impressive. Vietjet and the country's burgeoning aviation sector are clearly enablers, helping to stimulate travel within Vietnam and connecting Vietnam with the rest of Asia. We are proud to support this economic development, which in turn supports engineering and manufacturing jobs in the United States."
In addition to airplane purchases, Boeing will partner with Vietjet to enhance technical and engineering expertise, train pilots and technicians, and improve management capabilities at the airline and in Vietnam.
The carrier also uses Boeing's digital solutions to optimize its operations, including flight planning & Tech Log Book.
The 737 MAX family is powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines, and includes design updates such as Boeing's Advanced Technology winglet that reduces drag and further optimizes the 737 MAX performance, especially on longer-range missions. Together, these improvements reduce fuel use and CO2 emissions by at least 14 percent compared to today's Next-Generation 737s – and by 20 percent more than the single-aisle airplanes they replace.
The 737 MAX 10 is the largest variant in the family. At 43.8 meters (143 feet 8 inches) long, the airplane can seat a maximum of 230 passengers and offer airlines the lowest seat-mile costs in the single-aisle market.
