Amid a round of rapid growth and the development of international expansion plans, Vietnamese private budget carrier Vietjet Air has announced an agreement with Boeing to transfer up to 50 Boeing 737 aircraft to its Thailand-based subsidiary known as Thai Vietjet Air. The move comes as the airline seeks to strengthen aviation and tourism connectivity between Thailand, Vietnam, as well as other countries in the region, and follows a recent deal to set up a new subsidiary in Kazakhstan.
According to Asian Aviation, under the agreement, Vietjet Air will allocate 50 aircraft from its existing outstanding order of 200 Boeing 737s to its Thai Vietjet Air sister airline, with deliveries of the first aircraft projected to begin in October 2025. The growth across the border in Thailand will see Vietjet Air significantly expand across the region and will pitch it head-to-head with other major low-cost Asia airlines, including Air Asia Thailand and Nok Air, as well as the national carrier Thai Airways.
Vietjet Air previously signed an initial order for the Boeing 737 MAX in 2016 during a visit to Vietnam by then-US President Barack Obama. This deal was increased at the Farnborough Air Show in 2018 when the airline signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an additional 100 aircraft. More recently, in April 2025, Vietjet Air and AV AirFinance signed a financial agreement totaling US$300 million to cover the financing of the new Boeing fleet.
The agreement is part of a broader series of aircraft financing deals totaling over US$4 billion that VietJet has secured with leading U.S. financial institutions. These commitments aim to support Vietjet Air’s new fleet development plan, with the projected delivery of nearly 300 aircraft between 2025 and 2027. The signing ceremony of the latest deal between Vietjet Air, Boeing, Thailand, and Vietnam took place in the presence of Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra during the latter’s first official visit to Vietnam in over a decade in May 2025.
“We are pleased to partner with Vietjet Air and Thai Vietjet Air to expand Boeing 737 operations in Vietnam and Thailand,” said Penny Burtt, President of Boeing Southeast Asia. “Together, we aim to connect communities and drive economic development, paving the way for a prosperous future in Vietnam and the dynamic growth region that is Southeast Asia.”
Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Chairwoman of Vietjet Air, stated at the event: “The transfer of 50 modern and efficient Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to Thai Vietjet Air demonstrates our long-term commitment to sustainable aviation development in the region. We are determined to implement the ‘Three Connects’ Strategy between the two countries, encompassing supply chains, businesses, and localities.”
As part of the agreement, Boeing will also provide Thai Vietjet Air with comprehensive technical support, including pilot, maintenance, and engineer training, and product services, ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the new fleet in Thailand. Vietjet said in a statement that, “This new agreement marks a new milestone in the robust and effective cooperation between Vietnamese, Thai, and US enterprises, with shared priorities in digital transformation, sustainable development, and narrowing development gaps among member states.
More about Thai Vietjet Air
Headquartered at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Thai Vietjet Air currently operates 33 domestic and international routes, connecting Thailand’s economic and tourism hubs with cities across Vietnam, Japan, China, India, Cambodia, and other destinations across the region. The airline has to date flown over 30 million passengers, making significant contributions to tourism, trade, and ASEAN regional cooperation, particularly between Vietnam and Thailand.
Thai Vietjet Air currently operates an all-Airbus fleet of 18 aircraft comprising 12 Airbus A320-200s and six A321-200s, seating 180 and 230 passengers respectively in a single-class high-density layout.
