Vietravel Airlines has signed a letter of intent with Airbus for 50 aircraft, a major expansion plan for a Vietnamese carrier that only began building its own fleet last year.
The agreement covers 20 A220s and 30 aircraft from the A321 family, expected to include both the A321neo and long-range A321XLR. Vietravel has not disclosed how the 30 larger aircraft will be divided between the two versions.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2029. The agreement remains preliminary and has not been announced by Airbus as a firm order.
The letter of intent was signed in Paris on September 10 during Vietnamese leader Tô Lâm's visit to France, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron. T&T Group founder and Executive Chairman Đỗ Quang Hiển, Vietravel Airlines Chairman Đỗ Vinh Quang and Airbus International President Wouter van Wersch attended the ceremony.
New aircraft for a small carrier
The scale of the agreement contrasts with Vietravel's current operation. The airline became part of the T&T Group ecosystem in late 2024 and began building an owned fleet with the arrival of its first Airbus A321 in June 2025.
Vietravel has since continued adding A321s while expanding domestic services between major Vietnamese cities and tourist destinations. Its scheduled international network currently includes Bangkok in Thailand and Shenzhen in China.
The airline expects to increase operations to around 80-90 flights per day as additional aircraft join its fleet during the second half of 2026.
The A220 would introduce a new aircraft type to Vietravel. The airline plans to use the smaller jet to develop routes where the capacity of an A321 would be excessive, while the A321 family would serve higher-demand markets.
The inclusion of the A321XLR would also give Vietravel the option to operate substantially longer international routes with a narrowbody aircraft. The airline has not disclosed which destinations it is considering for the type.
T&T Group has previously outlined plans to expand Vietravel to around 50 aircraft by 2030. If converted into a firm order and delivered as planned, the Airbus agreement would therefore account for a large part of the airline's long-term fleet expansion.
The Vietravel agreement was one of several aviation deals announced during the Vietnamese delegation's visit to France. Vietnam Airlines also signed a memorandum of understanding for five additional Airbus A350-900s, with deliveries planned for 2033 and 2034.
