Vietjet, Carlyle Group sign MoU for aircraft purchase funding

An MoU was signed in the presence of Vietjet and Carlyle Group's representatives on September 11, 2023. Photo by Nguyen Quang

Carlyle Aviation Partners, a wholly owned member of the Carlyle Group, will finance the purchase of 200 737 Max aircraft ordered by Vietjet from Boeing.

"Carlyle Aviation Partners has been a long-term strategic partner of Vietjet," said Robert Korn, Co-founder and President of Carlyle Aviation Partners.

"We are pleased to accompany and witness Vietjet’s aggressive growth over the last decade. The airline has offered passengers reasonable fares and convenient travel options, thus contributing positively to aviation and tourism development and also fostering investment between Vietnam and the international community."

During the official visit of U.S. President Joe Biden to Vietnam, Vietjet and Boeing agreed on the delivery timeline for the first batch of Vietjet’s 200 B737 Max orders. This order, which is worth over $25 billion, will be implemented in five years, with the first delivery of 12 aircraft scheduled for 2024.

The first batch of 737 Max will be delivered to Thai Vietjet, an affiliate company founded by Vietjet and is currently one of the leading airlines in Thailand.

Founded in 2002 with headquarters in Miami, Florida, U.S., Carlyle Aviation Partners is in the business of global aircraft finance and leasing and currently manages a fleet of 396 aircraft in 59 countries. It is owned by Carlyle Group, which manages $385 billion in assets in total.