Vietjet places order for 20 newest-generation Airbus A321XLR aircraft

Vietjet president and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao (right) and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury co-sign the order contract for 20 A321XLR aircraft with the witness of the two parties’ top leaders

New age-carrier Vietjet and aircraft manufacturer Airbus today signed a contract for 20 brand-new A321XLR aircraft. The deal in Toulouse (France) will make Vietjet one of the first carriers in the world to operate Airbus’s newest "extra-long-range" version when the first of the aircraft are delivered in 2023. With a range of up to 8,700 kilometres, the innovative model will serve Vietjet’s fleet modernisation and international flight network expansion plans in the near future.

On this occasion, the two parties also signed an agreement for two additional A320/A321 aircraft simulators (SIM) for pilot and technician training, increasing the manufacturer’s investment in Vietjet Aviation Academy to three SIMs, helping to increase the training capacity of the facility.

Vietjet president and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury co-signed the important contract during Thao and Vietjet’s top leaders' visit to Europe.

Speaking at the contract signing ceremony, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said, “Vietjet is one of the fastest-growing carriers in the Asian region and we feel proud to have the A321XLR joining its fleet. This order is another strong endorsement of our decision to bring the true long-range capability to the single-aisle market with the A321XLR, enabling airlines to extend their networks at the lowest possible cost. Furthermore, we are also pleased to develop our collaboration with Vietjet in the area of training.”

Vietjet CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said, “Vietjet has always been a pioneer in operating new, modern, advanced, and fuel-efficient aircraft. We are proud of operating the world’s youngest Airbus fleet with an average age of only 2.7 years, which has contributed greatly to Vietjet’s success over the past years. Following the signing of this contract today, the new A321XLR will be the perfect upgrade to comprehensively modernise Vietjet’s fleet as we look to strongly grow our international flight network. It’s exciting to know that our passengers will soon enjoy flying on our comfortable, modern, and cost-saving mid-haul flights.”

With this latest contract, Vietjet’s total order book with Airbus reaches 186 aircraft with the first A321XLRs to be delivered to the airline from 2023.

Vietjet A321XLR aircraft

The next evolutionary step after the A321LR, the A321XLR model responds to market needs for even more range and payload, creating more value for the airlines. From 2023, the aircraft will deliver an unprecedented Xtra Long Range of up to 4,700nm (8,704km) – 15 per cent more than the A321LR – and with 30 per cent lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous-generation aircraft.

As part of the deals for the new aircraft and SIMs, Airbus Services provides also state-of-the-art training solutions to ensure safe, reliable, and economically efficient operations on all Airbus aircraft throughout their lifecycle. The aircraft manufacturer is also on-hand to offer support every step of the way with a comprehensive and tailored training portfolio designed and developed by Airbus for Vietjet’s pilots, cadets, cabin crews, performance, and operations engineers, maintenance personnel, and structure and repair specialists.