A Vietnam Airlines aircraft seen at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi in September 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy
Vietnam Airlines requires at least 50 additional aircraft to support its ambitious expansion plans amid a global jet shortage.
The aircraft purchase is key to boosting its post-Covid recovery as it plans to launch or resume services on 15 international routes this year, chairman Dang Ngoc Hoa told shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting Thursday.
The state-owned carrier last month received approval from the government for the purchase of 50 narrow-body aircraft and 10 spare engines at a cost of nearly US$3.7 billion.
It now has a fleet of 100 aircraft and expects to need 137 by 2030 and 164 by 2035.
With global demand for commercial aircraft being high, Vietnam Airlines needs to soon place orders to get delivery before 2030. Otherwise it will need to lease planes starting in 2027.
Global airlines, including Vietnamese carriers, face challenges due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines.
This has resulted in Vietnam Airlines grounding 15 narrowbody Airbus A321. Another four widebody Airbus A350 are also being maintained.
Due to the shortage of aircraft, each is flying 11.5 hours a day on average, higher than the pre-Covid figure of 10 hours.
Shareholders at the meeting gave the green light for Vietnam Airlines to issue more shares to existing shareholders to raise VND22 trillion ($848 million) in 2025 and 2026.
