Vietnam budget carrier Vietjet considers wet-leasing Chinese aircraft during Tet
Friday, December 20, 2024, 12:40 GMT+7
Vietnamese no-frills carrier Vietjet is reporting to the Ministry of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam regarding its plan to wet-lease Chinese-made COMAC ARJ21 aircraft, according to sources.
Specifically, the airline plans to wet-lease two COMAC ARJ21 planes from Chengdu Airlines, starting January 15, in order to meet peak demands during next month’s Lunar New Year holiday.
Key routes to be operated include Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to and from Con Dao off the southeast coast of Vietnam.
As the COMAC ARJ21 is a relatively new model, Vietjet sought support from relevant agencies to finalize contracts covering aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance, as well as a memorandum of understanding, a foreign air operator certificate, and assistance from airports and ground service providers.
Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam had announced that Vietjet would operate Brazil's Embraer E190 planes to Con Dao, but delays in aircraft delivery forced the carrier to switch to Chinese models.
The reopening of air routes between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and Con Dao Airport will benefit passengers, especially those from northern Vietnam who wish to explore the primitive beauty of Con Dao Island in the southern region.
Established in 2008, COMAC is a Chinese state-owned enterprise that specializes in researching and developing commercial aircraft with the ambition of breaking the monopoly of Airbus and Boeing.
COMAC currently sells two models, namely the narrow-body C919 and the ARJ21 regional jet.
The company developed the C919 in 14 years and received a license to operate at the end of September 2022. With a length of nearly 39 meters, the aircraft can accommodate 192 passengers.
ARJ21 is the first aircraft that COMAC has independently developed and manufactured. The aeroplane is equipped with two GE CF34-10A engines from the U.S. and flying and landing systems from Germany’s Liebherr.
Chinese airlines currently use the aircraft on domestic routes.
According to COMAC, ARJ21s have served 13 million passengers.
The firm made its first international delivery of the regional jet to a customer in Indonesia in 2022.
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