VietJet Air will receive its first Boeing 737 Max as Vietnam seeks to strengthen trade ties with the US while negotiations over tariffs continue.
The handover marks a significant shift for VietJet, which currently operates an all-Airbus fleet, and comes as Vietnam continues delicate trade discussions with the United States over tariffs.
A ceremony is scheduled on Sunday, September 21, at Boeing’s factory near Seattle, with Vietnamese President Luong Cuong expected to attend. He will later travel to New York to join world leaders at the UN General Assembly, where he is also due to attend a reception hosted by US President Donald Trump.
Vietnamese officials and the airline have repeatedly pledged to purchase Boeing jets as part of wider efforts to narrow the country’s large trade surplus with Washington. Several US and Vietnamese officials have described the acquisitions as a strategic move to advocate for lower US tariffs on Vietnamese goods.
VietJet originally signed an agreement in May 2016 for 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to be delivered between 2019 and 2023. The order was doubled in July 2018, but subsequent tragedies involving the aircraft type, along with the Covid pandemic, led to delivery delays.
Although the airline’s Thai subsidiary announced in 2023 that it would soon receive 12 of the aircraft, no deliveries have yet materialised. If confirmed, Sunday’s handover would be VietJet’s first Boeing jet, aside from a short-term lease of two Chinese-made Comac regional aircraft.
Industry sources suggest a second Boeing plane may follow in October, though the airline has not confirmed the timeline. Boeing has declined to comment, directing inquiries to VietJet, which has remained silent so far.
To strengthen ties with the US, VietJet announced deals worth almost US$50 billion (1.8 trillion baht) with major American companies, including Boeing, in January. The details were not disclosed, though the agreements were widely seen as part of Hanoi’s strategy to ease trade tensions.
Despite these moves, Washington imposed a 20% tariff on Vietnamese goods last month, a figure lower than the 46% rate previously threatened. Hanoi has not acknowledged the levy as part of any bilateral arrangement, reported Bangkok Post.
Vietnam Airlines, the national carrier, has also signalled interest in adding more Boeing aircraft to its fleet, although Airbus continues to supply the majority of planes used by Vietnamese airlines.
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