Vietnam Airlines Secures Additional Airbus A350s Amid Fleet Expansion Plans

Vietnam Airlines has signed a preliminary deal for five more Airbus A350-900s as part of its long-haul fleet expansion plans. The memorandum of understanding was signed on September 10 at the Élysée Palace in Paris during an official visit by Vietnamese leader Tô Lâm, with French President Emmanuel Macron in attendance.

The new aircraft will be delivered in 2033 and 2034, expanding Vietnam Airlines' A350-900 fleet to 19 planes. The airline currently operates 14 of these widebody jets and also has 17 Boeing 787s in its long-haul fleet. The competition between Airbus and Boeing remains open for a larger portion of the airline's future long-haul fleet.

This agreement comes as Vietnam Airlines prepares another expansion of its widebody fleet, with plans to acquire 30 more aircraft beyond 2030 identified as a priority in its long-term fleet plan. The carrier had already approached the market seeking proposals for up to 30 A350-900s or 787-9s in September 2025.