Vietjet closes $3.1bn in deals at Singapore Airshow 2016
Vietjet closes $3.1bn in deals at Singapore Airshow 2016
Vietnam’s low-cost carrier Vietjet inked deals totaling US$3.1 billion at the Singapore Airshow 2016, including possibly the biggest contract value signed at Asia’s largest aviation exhibition.
On Wednesday, the Vietnamese carrier simultaneously signed an engine purchase agreement with Pratt & Whitney, selected SR Technics as a strategic partner for component services, and secured cooperation with Airbus to set up a flight and maintenance training center in Vietnam.
The biggest deal is a $3.04 billion agreement the carrier closed with American aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, Vietjet said in a press release the same day.
The carrier will purchase the PurePower Geared Turbofan™ (GTF) engine to power their order of 63 Airbus A320neos and A321neos.
“With an advanced design that reduces fuel costs and CO2 emissions, the GTF engine is expected to boost the carrier’s efficiency, protect the environment, and enable Vietjet to offer more affordable airfares,” Vietjet’s President and CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said.
Vietjet also signed a $60 million agreement with Switzerland’s SR Technics on component and maintenance services for its A320 family fleet.
The contract marks a milestone in the relationships between the two companies following the success of CFM56-5B Engine Services initiated in early 2015, according to the airline.
The final major deal Vietjet reached on Wednesday is an agreement with Airbus to establish an A320/A321 flight and maintenance training center in Ho Chi Minh City.
The center will host an Airbus A320 Full-Flight Simulator (FFS) to conduct flight crew training for its A320 family fleet and focus on training pilots, engineers, mechanics, flight dispatchers, and flight trainers, according to the carrier.
In addition, Airbus will also provide maintenance training services via its training media and courseware, including its dynamic trainers and teaching techniques.
Training will be delivered using the Airbus Competence Training (ACT) classroom concept, thus bringing Airbus’ and EASA’s standards to the Vietjet Training Center.
Vietjet said the agreement has made it the first airline in Vietnam to collaborate with Airbus for an A320 family fleet flight and maintenance training center, which will be one of Airbus’ training legs in the Asia Pacific.
Asia's largest aviation show, the biennial Singapore Airshow features the latest technologies and equipment by top aerospace companies around the world. The event runs from February 17 to 21.
Vietjet currently boasts a fleet of 34 aircraft, including A320s and A321s, and operates 200 flights each day.
It has already opened 47 routes in Vietnam and across the region.
