
Hanoi (VNA) – Bamboo Airways, Vietnam’s newest carrier, signed anearly-3-billion-USD contract to buy 10 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner wide-body jetswith the US group on February 27.
The signing ceremonytook place on the sidelines of the DPRK-USA Hanoi Summit Vietnam, in the presenceof Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and USPresident Donald Trump.
Kevin McAllister, CEO andPresident at Boeing Commercial Airplanes Inc., said that the new contract willhelp promote and consolidate the partnership between Boeing and Bamboo Airways.
Boeing is willing tosupport the Vietnamese carrier in connecting Vietnam with key markets in Asia,Europe and North America, he added.
Last June, thecarrier, owned by property developer FLC Group, also signed a deal to buy 20Boeing 787-9 planes worth 5.6 billion USD. The first planes are expected to behanded over to the carrier in the third quarter of 2020.
Bamboo Airways isconsidering the purchase of 25 Boeing 737 Max narrow-body jets with anestimated value of 2.5 billion USD.
Dang Tat Thang,General Director of Bamboo Airways, stated that the airline’s moves are aimedat improving its operation and increasing competitiveness in potential butchallenging international routes.
In March 2018, BambooAirways inked a deal to buy 24 Airbus A321 NEO planes worth 3.2 billion USD,under the witness of Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong andPresident of France’s National Assembly Francois de Rugy.
After its firstcommercial flight on January 16, 2019, the airline has conducted over 1,000safe flights transporting around 90,000 passengers.
It plans to operate37-40 domestic air routes this year, contributing to promoting trade andtourism between regions.
The airline also aimsto launch international service in the second quarter, with the firstdestinations slated to be Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Japan,Taiwan (China), Australia, the UK, France and China.-VNA
VNA