Vietjet and Thales exchange agreements covering MRO and digital aviation at the Élysée Palace in Paris in the presence of Việt Nam’s General Secretary and President Tô Lâm (first left, second row) and French President Emmanuel Macron. — VNA/VNS Photo

PARIS — Vietjet and French technology group Thales have signed agreements covering aircraft maintenance, digital aviation, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, as Việt Nam seeks to deepen economic and technology ties with France.

The agreements were signed during Vietnamese General Secretary and President Tô Lâm's official visit to France.

Under a Repair-By-The-Hour contract, Thales will provide component maintenance services for Vietjet's Airbus fleet, including A320/A321, A321neo/A321XLR, A330 and A330neo aircraft, the airline said in a statement.

The agreement is intended to improve fleet reliability and availability while helping the airline manage maintenance costs, Vietjet said.

Both companies also signed a memorandum of understanding covering digital aviation, avionics, cybersecurity and AI applications in airline operations. The cooperation will explore cloud-based solutions, predictive analytics and decision-support technologies, Vietjet said.

The agreements build on a longstanding partnership between Vietjet and Thales and come as Việt Nam and France seek to expand cooperation under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

"Our partnership with Thales will not only enhance the reliability, safety and operational efficiency of Vietjet's fleet, but also open up new areas of cooperation in digital technology, AI and cybersecurity," Vietjet CEO Nguyễn Thanh Sơn said.

Pascale Sourisse, CEO of Thales International, said the company looked forward to supporting Vietjet's growth through technology and innovation.

Thales has operated in Việt Nam for 30 years, the company said. — VNS