Vietnam Airlines to Purchase Four Boeing 7E7 Aircraft

Vietnam Airlines to Purchase Four Boeing 7E7 Aircraft

Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier, is expected sign a contract with Boeing in the first quarter of this year to buy four Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner planes at the total cost of US$500 million, according to a press release from Boeing on December 30.

"Vietnam Airlines joins a growing roster of Asian carriers who have chosen the 7E7 to gain its competitive advantages," said Larry Dickenson, vice president for sales at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in a release.

The aircraft will be delivered from 2005 to 2010.

With three classes of seats, each long-haul 7E7 can carry 217 passengers and constantly fly for a journey of up to 15,700 kilometers. It consumes 20 per cent less of fuels than other airplanes.

The contract is part of Vietnam Airlines' plan to purchase 14 new aircraft from now to 2010, including A321s from Airbus and four 7E7s from Boeing. The Government has approved the plan.

Vietnam Airlines targets to serve 5.7 million passengers, transport nearly 100,000 tons of goods, and earn total revenues of VND19 trillion (US$1.21 billion) this year. It plans to open new routes to Frankfurt in Germany and to Nagoya in Japan and launch the domestic flight between Hanoi and Dak Lak province’s Buon Ma Thuot City in the year.

The company is expected to have 75 planes by 2010, according to its aircraft fleet expansion plan. By the end of this year, the carrier will have a total of 49 planes.

• P.V