Economy
VN's exports $25.77 billion to the US in Q1
1.
 |
| FLC Group and Airbus discussed the deal to purchase 24 aircrafts for FLC’s Bamboo Airways. — Photo flc.vn |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — Property developer FLC Group, which owns Việt Bamboo Airlines Company Limited (Bamboo Airways), will buy 24 A321NEO aircrafts worth US$3 billion from French manufacturer Airbus.
FLC and Airbus had a meeting on the aircraft deal in Hà Nội on Tuesday.
Airbus A321NEO is a new version, the biggest aircraft in the A320 model of Airbus. It measures 44.51min length with 220 seats, saving fuel and reducing emission and noise. It is a popular airplane that is being used by most airlines in the world, including Việt Nam.
It is considered ideal for a “hybrid” airline, which will blend low-cost traits with those of traditional or full-service carriers.
Jean-François Laval, an Airbus executive vice president, was quoted in a FLC statement as saying that Airbus would give priority to hand over the order to Bamboo Airways during 2022-25.
He said Airbus had submitted proposals to the Vietnamese and French governments as well as their ambassadors to accelerate the granting of licence to Bamboo Airways.
FLC chairman Trịnh Văn Quyết said the two firms would weigh the options to cooperate further after performance tests.
FLC expects to buy 24 additional Airbus A321 long-range planes after it obtains an airline licence from the government, taking the total number of aircrafts purchased to 48, he said.
In May last year, FLC Group announced the decision of its management board to establish the Viet Bamboo Airways Company with a charter capital of VNĐ700 billion (US$31.4 million).
A spokesperson of Bamboo Airways said the airline would focus on direct services connecting international markets with emerging tourist destinations in Việt Nam instead of major urban areas where the aviation infrastructure was already overloaded.
He said priority would be given to localities where FLC had built major tourist complexes, including Quảng Ninh and Hải Phòng in the north, Thanh Hóa and Quy Nhơn (Bình Định Province) in the central region and Nha Trang (Khánh Hòa Province) and Phú Quốc (Kiên Giang Province) in the south.
Last June, FLC had a meeting with the US Boeing aircraft manufacturer about its plan to buy 15 Boeing aircrafts. — VNS
