Vietjet has announced that it will add the Airbus A321XLR to its fleet, with a firm order for 15 aircraft and the conversion of five A321neo aircraft from its existing backlog. The announcement was made during a visit to Airbus headquarters in Toulouse by Vietjet President & CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, hosted by Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.

During the visit, the airline also signed a new training agreement with Airbus Services. This will see Airbus position two new A320 Family full flight simulators at the carrier’s training centre in Ho Chi Minh City. Airbus will also provide a range of training services to the airline and its instructors.

Vietjet will be among the first airlines to receive the A321XLR. The addition of the aircraft to its fleet will allow Vietjet to further expand its network, flying longer routes across Asia, as well as to destinations as far afield as Australia and Russia.

Including this announcement, Vietjet has now ordered a total of 186 A320 Family aircraft, of which 60 have been delivered. The airline’s outstanding Airbus backlog is entirely composed of A321neo aircraft.

The aircraft will deliver an unprecedented Xtra Long Range of up to 4,700nm – with 30% lower fuel consumption per seat, compared with previous-generation competitor jets. At the end of September 2019, the A320neo Family had received more than 6,650 firm orders from nearly 110 customers worldwide.

Image: Airbus.