Boeing sees more orders from Vietnam Air
HANOI - U.S. aerospace company Boeing, which has just delivered its second 777 long haul jet to Vietnam Airlines, said on
Monday it expects the carrier to buy at least ten more jets over the next five to six year.
The national carrier could buy "10 to 12 (jets) in the next probably five to six years," Christopher Flint, Asia Pacific sales director of
commercial airplanes for Boeing, told a news briefing. "My prediction is there'll probably be more than that," Flint added. "They will
expand out to other markets."
State-owned Vietnam Airlines took delivery on Saturday of the first 777-200ER it will own after receiving a similar model in April on
lease. In all, it is buying four 777s and leasing two. Its fleet is 33-strong.
Vietnam Airlines is on an expansion drive as travel resumes after the containment of the deadly SARS virus in Asia. It is beginning
direct flights to Frankfurt, Kuala Lumpur and Cambodia's Siem Reap after starting to fly to Paris non-stop in May.
It is also advertising to lease four planes, including two more Boeing 777s.
Reuters - August 25, 2003
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