Airbus strikes deal for up to 150 single-aisle aircraft with VietJet

Vietjet airplane (Representational/File image)

Airbus and Vietjet struck a deal on Tuesday for up to 150 single-aisle aircraft to Vietnam’s largest private airline as the European planemaker continues to rack up business at the Paris Airshow.

Airbus and Vietjet said they had signed a memorandum of understanding for VietJet to buy 100 more A321neo planes, with the option to add up to a further 50 to the deal in future.

Reuters reported that a deal for 150 A321neos could be worth around $9.4 billion, according to estimated prices provided by Cirium Ascend.

"These modern and efficient aircraft have been instrumental in VietJet's growth," VietJet Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said in a statement released at a press conference attended by a delegation including several Western bankers.

"This landmark agreement represents a vital step in VietJet's growth strategy as a multi-national aviation group."

European planemaker Airbus has announced a flurry of deals at the Paris Airshow, the world's biggest aviation trade fair that opened on Monday.

Reuters said that Airbus' U.S. rival Boeing is expected to have a more subdued show as it focuses on the probe into last week's fatal crash of an Air India Boeing 787 and after it racked up huge deals during U.S. President Donald Trump's recent tour of the Middle East.

VietJet, the largest private airline in Vietnam, operates a fleet of more than 100 Airbus aircraft, apart from two Chinese-made regional jets. The airline has not to date taken delivery of any of the around 200 MAX planes it has ordered from Boeing.

Airbus is the main supplier of jets to Vietnam, accounting for 86% of the planes currently operated by Vietnamese airlines. However, the export-dependent Southeast Asian country is under pressure from Washington to buy more U.S. goods.

VietJet's latest deal comes only weeks after it ordered 20 A330neo wide-body airliners from Airbus.

Airbus said that by the end of May 2025, more than 7,000 A321neo aircraft have been ordered by over 90 customers across the globe.

Earlier on Monday, Riyadh Air has placed an order for 25 A350-1000 aircraft, the Saudi Arabia-based premium international airline said in a statement. The agreement, which the airline said could potentially increase to 50 A350-1000 aircraft, was signed at the Paris Air Show.

In all, Airbus signed almost $10 billion worth of new aircraft orders at the 2025 Paris Air Show while Boeing struggled with the consequences of the Ahmedabad air crash where 241 people on board were killed.

(With Reuters inputs)