10 more Airbus A321 for Vietnam Airlines

National carrier Vietnam Airlines said on Wednesday it had signed a letter of intent with Airbus to purchase 10 narrow-body A321 jets between 2006 and 2010.

Pham Ngoc Minh, executive vice president of the carrier, said that in the same letter, signed in May, Airbus also agreed to help Vietnam Airlines lease larger A330-200 aircraft.

"In the near future, the relationship between Vietnam Airlines and Airbus will not stop at aircraft purchasing deals but will be a comprehensive cooperation in many areas," Minh said at a briefing to mark the delivery of the first of five A321-200s the airline purchased in 2003.

Cooperation would expand to technical support, training and maintenance of aircraft and engines, he said.

The unlisted airline has said that by 2010 it would double its fleet to 70 from 34 planes as it expands routes and to accommodate more visitors attracted by a new visa-free policy.

Minh said three other A321s would be delivered this month and in August and the last jet in early 2005 in a contract valued at about $250 million by the list price. The 185-seat plane would be used for medium- and short-haul flights.

For the 2006-2010 period, the airline has targeted revenue growth of 10 percent to 12 percent per year from a projected base of $1 billion for 2005.

Minh said ABN AMRO Bank has lent $133 million under its export credit with preferential conditions for the A321 purchase. Another commercial loan worth $15 million came from French investment bank Natexis Banques Populaires , he said.

Vietnam Airlines now has 13 Airbus A320s and A321s, four Boeing 777 jets, 7 Boeing 767-300s, 8 ATR 72s and 2 Fokkers 70s. (Reuters)


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Japanese firms win $182 mln Vietnam airport deal

A consortium of four Japanese companies has won a construction deal worth 19.85 billion yen ($182 million) to upgrade Vietnam's biggest airport, state media reported on Tuesday.

The Vietnamese government approved the bid by the consortium comprising Kajima Corp, Taisei Corp, Obayashi Corp and Maeda Co, the trade ministry-run Thuong Mai (Commerce) newspaper reported.

It said the consortium has 24 months to build, supply and install equipment for a new terminal for international flights at the Tan Son Nhat airport serving Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's commercial hub.

Once viewed as an obscure destination, the Southeast Asian country has become popular with tourists and business travellers, prompting Hanoi to upgrade its aviation infrastructure. Japanese are the fourth largest group visiting Vietnam after Americans, Chinese and Taiwanese.

State media said investment for the entire airport project was $219 million, 85 percent of which would come from official development assistance. The new terminal is scheduled to be operational in 2006.

Last month Prime Minister Phan Van Khai approved plans for an $8 billion airport outside Ho Chi Minh City, with construction to begin in 2007. That airport is projected to handle 80 million to 100 million passengers a year, or 10 times more than the Tan Son Nhat airport. ($1=109 yen) (Reuters)

This is sweet to hear.

Ref

Vietnam is on the development
I think the purchase of additional aircraft is a good job