VietJet receives first Boeing 737 MAX after years-long delay

The delays have allowed VietJet to adjust its order according to its network growth plans. The current order includes 100 high-density MAX 8-200 variants from the original deal, along with an additional 20 standard MAX 8s and 80 larger MAX 10 models that are still awaiting certification.

According to information reported by the Bangkok Post, VietJet intends for Thai VietJet—its subsidiary—to receive the first deliveries, with a total of twelve aircraft initially assigned out of fifty planned for this branch. CEO Nguyen Thi Phong Thao commented on how these new planes fit into VietJet’s expansion plans: "The deal for 200 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes is an important move for us to keep up with our international flight network expansion plan with a higher capacity. It's all part of offering our passengers more exciting experiences when being able to fly to new international destinations."

Since its launch in 2011 as Vietnam’s first privately-owned airline, VietJet has grown its Airbus fleet steadily. At this year’s Paris Air Show, it ordered an additional 150 A321neo jets—a move that will bring its total number of A321neos above two hundred once delivered. For long-haul operations, VietJet currently uses eight A330-300s acquired from AirAsia X and has committed to purchasing forty A330-900 widebody jets following orders placed last year and doubled this May.

As of September 2025, VietJet operates a mixed fleet comprising various Airbus models and two Comac C909 regional jets wet-leased from Chengdu Airlines for service to Vietnam’s Con Dao islands—routes only accessible by regional jets due to airport constraints. This arrangement makes VietJet the first airline outside China operating Airbus, Boeing, and Comac aircraft simultaneously.

The timing of these deliveries comes as Vietnam faces ongoing trade negotiations with the United States over tariffs imposed last month by the previous administration—a measure not formally acknowledged as bilateral by Hanoi but seen as critical given that more than one-third of Vietnamese exports go to US markets (https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/07/vietnam-us-tariffs-trade). Aviation purchases like those made by VietJet are viewed as key elements in balancing trade relations between both countries; combined orders from VietJet and Vietnam Airlines represent investments exceeding $30 billion in American-made Boeing products.

"The deal for 200 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes is an important move for us to keep up with our international flight network expansion plan with a higher capacity. It's all part of offering our passengers more exciting experiences when being able to fly to new international destinations." — Nguyen Thi Phong Thao, CEO of VietJet