HCM City (VNA) - New age-carrier Vietjet andaircraft manufacturer Airbus on October 31 signed a contract for 20 brand-newA321XLR aircraft.

Thedeal in Toulouse (France) will make Vietjet one of the first carriers in theworld to operate Airbus’s newest "extra-long-range" version when thefirst of the aircraft are delivered in 2023. With a range of up to 8,700km, theinnovative model will serve Vietjet’s fleet modernisation and internationalflight network expansion plans in the near future.

On this occasion, the twoparties also signed an agreement for two additional A320/A321 aircraftSimulators (SIM) for pilot and technician training,increasing the manufacturer’s SIMs at the Vietjet Aviation Academy to three,helping increase the capacity for training at the Vietjet facility.

VietjetPresident & CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury co-signed theimportant contract during the official visit of Thao and Vietjet’s top leadersto Europe.

Speaking at the contractsigning ceremony, Airbus CEO GuillaumeFaury, said: “Vietjet is one ofthe fastest growing carriers in the Asian region and we feel proud to have theA321XLR joining its fleet. This order is another strong endorsement of ourdecision to bring true long range capability to the singe aisle market with theA321XLR, enabling airlines to extend their networks at the lowest possiblecost. Furthermore, we are also pleased to develop further our collaborationwith Vietjet in the area of training.”

Vietjet CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said: “Vietjet has always been apioneer for operating new, modern, advanced and fuel-efficient aircraft. We areproud of operating the world’s youngest Airbus fleet with an average age ofonly 2.7 years, which has contributed greatly to Vietjet’s success over thepast years. Following the signing of this contract today, the new A321XLR willbe the perfect upgrade to comprehensively modernize Vietjet’s fleet as we lookto strongly grow international flight network. It’s exciting to know that ourpassengers will soon enjoy flying on our comfortable, modern and cost-savingmid-haul flights.”

Withthis latest contract, Vietjet’s total order with Airbus reaches 186 aircraftwith the first A321XLRs to be delivered to the airline from 2023.

The next evolutionary step on from the A321LR, the A321XLR modelresponds to market needs for even more range and payload, creating more valuefor the airlines. From 2023, the aircraft will deliver an unprecedented XtraLong Range of up to 4,700nm (8,704 km) – 15 percent more than the A321LR – andwith 30 percent lower fuel burnper seat compared with previous-generation aircraft.

As part of the deals for the new aircraft and SIMs, Airbus Services provides also state-of-the-arttraining solutions to ensure safe, reliable and economically efficientoperations on all Airbus aircraft throughout their lifecycle. The aircraftmanufacturer is alsoon-hand to offer support every step of the way with a comprehensive andtailored training portfolio designed and developed by Airbus for Vietjet’spilots, cadets, cabin crews, performance & operations engineers,maintenance personnel and structure & repair specialists./.