Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet Air has agreed to lease up to 10 Chinese-made C909 regional passenger jets, reports the South China Morning Post. The move is expected to give a lift to their manufacturer’s goal of vying with Airbus and Boeing in overseas civil aviation.
VietJet said in a statement that it had agreed with SPDB Financial Leasing, a subsidiary of Shanghai Pudong Development Bank in China, to finance the aircraft through operating leases. Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) makes the jets that are the subject of the deal, which followed talks between the Chinese and Vietnamese presidents in Beijing on Wednesday.
“Driven by its vision to become a multinational aviation group, VietJet is expanding its international flight network and investing in a modern fleet,” the carrier said, adding that the Chinese bank “plays an important role in structuring aircraft leasing and financing solutions”.