Vietnam Airlines to add 30 planes at over $10B by 2032

It recently issued a preliminary request for information for those aircraft and asked suppliers to submit details about aircraft types and numbers, delivery schedules and contract values by Oct. 8.

Buying all 30 planes would cost at least US$10 billion, excluding bulk discount.

A Boeing 787-10 wide-body aircraft operated by Vietnam Airlines. Photo courtesy of the company

The airline has a fleet of 31 wide-body planes comprised of 14 A350-900s and 17 787s. It also has 65 narrow-body A321s and A320s and six ATR-72s.

It has said it will need at least 52 wide-body and 112 narrow-body planes by 2035 to expand its route network and meet demand.

It received government approval in April to add 50 narrow-body aircraft costing an estimated VND92.8 trillion (US$3.5 billion), but its chairman, Dang Ngoc Hoa, has said the number is barely enough to meet minimum requirement.

If manufacturers could not deliver them before 2030, the carrier might need to lease more planes in 2027 and 2028, he said.

Vietnam Airlines operates an average of 400 flights daily to 21 domestic and 29 international destinations.

This year it has launched or revived 15 international routes to key markets such as Italy, Russia, China, the UAE, Japan, South Korea, and India.

But, like other domestic airlines, it has been facing an aircraft shortage since last year due to issues with the Pratt & Whitney engines on Airbus A321s. As of mid-2025 some 15 of its A321s remained grounded. Four Airbus A350s were undergoing repairs.