Vietnam Airlines buys three ATR-72s
HANOI - National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines said it signed a
contract on Friday with Avions de Transport Regional to buy three ATR 72-500
turboprop aircraft worth $50 million to expand its fleet.
An airline official told Reuters the firm planned to take delivery of the first aircraft,
produced by a venture between Italy's Alenia and France's Aerospatiale Matra, in
September and the rest before June 2002.
Earlier, another official said the airline's initial plan was to take all three aircraft
this year.
The officials said the aircraft would be used for domestic flights or on routes to
Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, and occasionally for flights to Vientiane,
the capital of Laos.
The official who spoke earlier said the government would help the airline make an
instant payment for the three ATR 72-500s, while the possible purchase of three
Boeing 777-200 aircraft would be made by deferred payment.
Last November, Vietnam Airlines signed a letter of intent with Boeing Co for the
purchase of three 777-200 ER aircraft, which would cost $480 million.
The official who spoke earlier said there had been no further developments yet in
this deal, but added: ``The government is backing the idea to purchase the
Boeings, so we think it will have a positive outcome.''
The other official said Vietnam Airlines, which has one of the youngest fleets in
the region, currently operates five Boeing 767-300s, 10 Airbus A-320s, two
Fokker-70s and six ATR-72s, four of which it owns.
According to previous state media reports, the airline also plans to lease more
Airbus 320s this year.
Reuters - February 2, 2001.
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