NEW YORK — Vietnamese companies have signed 23 memoranda of understanding and agreements with US and international partners spanning aviation, finance, capital markets and digital payments during a business conference in New York.

The agreements were presented at the Hello America 2026 Investment Conference on Wednesday (local time), hosted by Sovico Group, the parent company of Vietjet, during a visit to the US by Việt Nam's General Secretary and President Tô Lâm.

Aviation partnerships

Vietjet and Pratt & Whitney, a unit of RTX, agreed to study a phased plan to develop maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities in Vietnam for Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines.

The proposed facilities would initially support Vietjet's fleet and could eventually serve other airlines in Vietnam and the wider Asia-Pacific region, the companies said.

The initiative would expand cooperation between Vietjet and Pratt & Whitney beyond engine supply and technical support into aircraft maintenance and workforce development.

Earlier this year, Vietjet and Pratt & Whitney announced an agreement valued at about US$5.4 billion covering GTF engines and services for 44 Airbus A321neo and A321XLR aircraft.

Vietjet also expanded cooperation with SKY Leasing on financing and asset management for five new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

With FTAI Aviation, the airline will explore cooperation on fleet and engine support, including CFM56 solutions and a possible QuickTurn engine maintenance and exchange platform at Long Thành International Airport in Việt Nam.

The airline said the agreements would support fleet expansion and the development of aviation maintenance capabilities in Việt Nam.

Vietjet and Mastercard will also cooperate on digital payments, customer engagement and digital transformation in Việt Nam's aviation and travel sectors.

Banking and digital finance

HDBank signed an agreement with Citi to expand cooperation in areas including treasury, risk management, capital markets, trade finance, payments and derivatives, as well as professional training and market intelligence.

HDBank and Standard Chartered will strengthen cooperation on international funding and clearing services and explore further work in trade finance, cash management, payments and foreign exchange.

At the event, Vikki Bank and Mastercard signed an agreement covering digital transformation and payments, including the development of VikkiONE Connect, an integrated card combining payments, credit, digital identity and mobility services.

The two companies will also cooperate on technology infrastructure for public services and digital transformation initiatives in Việt Nam.

Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo, chairwoman of Sovico Group, said the partnerships connect world-leading strengths in aviation, technology and finance with Việt Nam’s growth potential.

"They not only create new resources for business growth, but also expand flows of trade, investment, technology and employment between our two economies, making a meaningful contribution to the Việt Nam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Thảo said. 

The conference brought together US and international companies, financial institutions, investors and Vietnamese businesses, Sovico said. — VNS