SEATTLE — Vietjet has received its first Boeing 737-8 aircraft from the airline’s landmark order of 200 jets valued at US$32 billion with Boeing, the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer.

The ceremony took place on September 21 at Boeing’s Delivery Centre in Seattle, Washington, attended by Việt Nam’s President Lương Cường, senior officials from both nations and key business partners.

Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and the US, the event marks both a major milestone in the growing partnership between Vietjet and Boeing and a powerful symbol of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations, driving trade and investment and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs in the US.

The new aircraft, along with hundreds more to be delivered in the next few years, will be deployed on Vietjet’s high-demand regional routes, enhancing the travel experience for millions of passengers. The milestone also underscores Vietjet’s commitment to expanding its international network, while contributing to the sustainable development of the aviation industry regionally and globally.

Vietjet Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo said: “The first Boeing aircraft received under this historic order is the result of nearly a decade of partnership between Boeing and Vietjet. It marks the start of hundreds more deliveries in the years ahead."

"This milestone strengthens bilateral trade, symbolises the US-Việt Nam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and reflects our shared ambition to reach new heights in aviation."

Stephanie Pope, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: “The 737-8 will support the airline’s network growth, opening new routes to serve Southeast Asia and reinforcing the strength of one of the region’s most dynamic new-generation carriers." — VNS