Đỗ Quang Hiển, founder and executive chairman of T&T Group, Đỗ Vinh Quang, vice chairman of T&T Group and chairman of Vietravel Airlines (left) and Wouter van Wersch, president of Airbus International, exchange the agreement for the purchase of 50 new-generation aircraft. — Photo courtesy of Vietravel Airlines

PARIS — Vietravel Airlines, a member of T&T Group, and Airbus signed an agreement on September 10 for the purchase of 50 new-generation aircraft, as the carrier seeks to expand its fleet and strengthen its operating capacity.

The agreement was exchanged at the Élysée Palace in Paris in the presence of Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The signing took place during Tô Lâm's official visit to France and attendance at the Space Summit from September 10 to 12.

Under the agreement, Vietravel Airlines will purchase 20 Airbus A220 aircraft and 30 aircraft from the A321 family, expected to include A321neo and A321XLR variants. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2029.

The selection of both aircraft families forms part of the airline's long-term fleet and network development strategy. The A220, designed for the up-to-160-seat segment, will support the development of new direct routes to destinations with limited or no regular air services.

According to Airbus, the A220 offers about 25 per cent lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions per seat than previous-generation aircraft. It also features a 2-3 seating configuration, wider seats, larger windows and spacious overhead storage. Depending on the variant, its range is about 6,300-6,700 kilometres.

The A321 family will serve higher-demand routes and support the airline's expansion into longer international services. The A321neo can accommodate up to about 240 passengers, depending on configuration, with a range of up to about 7,400 kilometres, while the A321XLR has a range of about 8,700 kilometres.

Based on its planned fleet, Vietravel Airlines aims to gradually expand its international network from Asia to South Asia, Central Asia and selected Middle Eastern markets.

The aircraft purchase is the latest step in Vietravel Airlines' development since it joined the T&T Group ecosystem in late 2024. The airline has been strengthening its resources and increasing the proportion of aircraft it owns, beginning with its first Airbus A321 in June 2025.

Vietravel Airlines currently operates domestic routes linking major economic and tourism centres, as well as scheduled international services to Bangkok, Thailand and Shenzhen, China.

The carrier plans to add more aircraft in the second half of 2026 and increase its operations to about 80-90 flights per day, while expanding connections to additional domestic and international destinations.

The planned fleet expansion is also part of T&T Group's broader strategy to develop an integrated infrastructure, logistics and aviation ecosystem. The group expects the integration of resources and services to support passenger and cargo transport and strengthen connections between economic centres and destinations. — BIZHUB/VNS