FLC to spend 3 billion USD on buying 24 Airbus planes

Property developer FLC Group, which owns Bamboo Airways, has decided to buy 24 A321 Neo aircrafts worth 3 billion USD from French manufacturer Airbus. (Photo: vnexpress.net)

The decision was announced at a meeting in Hanoi on March 6 between FLC and Airbus.

“After painstakingly studying all options, FLC Group and Bamboo Airways decided to order 24 aircrafts from Airbus until 2025. Based on operating and testing performance, we will seek more ways for further cooperation”, said the group’s chairman Trinh Van Quyet.

Airbus A321 Neo is a new version, the biggest aircraft in the A320 model of Airbus. The 220-seat aircraft saves fuel and reduces emission and noise. It is a popular airplane that is being used by most airlines in the world, including Vietnam.

Currently, Bamboo Airways is waiting for the Government’s approval of its operation licence. The group expects to buy additional 24 Airbus A321 long-range planes after receiving the licence from the Government.

Jean-Francois Laval, Airbus Executive Vice President for Asian region, said Airbus will give priority to hand over the order to Bamboo Airways in the 2022-25 period.

The manufacturer has submitted proposals to the Vietnamese and French governments as well as their ambassadors to accelerate the granting of licence to Bamboo Airways.

Bamboo Airways Company was established in 2017 with a charter capital of 700 billion VND (31.4 million USD).

According to Dang Tat Thang, Bamboo Airway Director, the airline will take a different path from its domestic counterparts, elaborating that it will focus on direct services connecting international markets with emerging tourist destinations in Vietnam, instead of major urban areas where the aviation infrastructure is already overloaded.

Priority will be given to localities where FLC has built major tourist complexes, including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong in the north, Thanh Hoa and Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh province) in the central region, and Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa province) and Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province) in the south, he said.

VNA