Vietnam Airlines considers adding Embraer aircraft to fleet

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and its subsidiary Pacific Airlines are drafting a plan to overcome challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic by checking the suitability of Embraer aircraft for their fleets.

Nguyen Ngoc Canh, vice head of the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC), made the statement at a Friday meeting with Juhairul Marzuk, vice president of institutional relations for Asia-Pacific at Embraer.

Canh also acknowledged that new-generation Embraer planes are suitable for Vietnamese airlines to expand their fleets, especially for affordable flights over short-medium ranges with limited passenger numbers.

Canh noted that Vietnam Airlines and Boeing have recently signed a deal for the purchase of 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and Canh himself had a discussion on Tuesday with Reta Jo Lewis, chair of Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), for the financing of the purchase.

As a result, Canh asked the executive of Embraer to provide more details related to discounts, maintenance, and technologies for operation, and requested Vietnam Airlines to cooperate with Embraer on these tasks.

Canh also urged Embraer to help Vietnam train its aviation workforces, and share technology, automation, and risk prevention for aviation management.

For his part, Marzuk said Embraer is willing to cooperate with Vietnam, deploy maintenance and repair services for aircraft, and provide aviation technology.

Brazil-based Embraer, the third-biggest commercial aircraft firm in the world (only behind Boeing and Airbus), has already provided five E190 aircraft to Bamboo Airways, a major Vietnamese carrier, he added.

However, in March, Bamboo Airways reached an agreement to terminate early a lease contract for three Brazil-made Embraer E190 jets from the end of this month. The move is part of the carrier's largest reshuffle since its first commercial flight in January 2019.

Fleets of Vietnamese airlines are undergoing major shuffles. In September 2023, U.S. engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney (P&W) announced the recall of PW1100 engine, possibly affecting 700 units in the world. As a result, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet, two biggest airlines in Vietnam, will have to stop flying some Airbus A321NEO aircraft in 2024 and 2025.

Meanwhile, as part of Vietnam Airlines' restructuring, its subsidiary Pacific Airlines had sold its entire fleet this month to pay its debts. Pacific Airlines seeks to make a dry lease of three planes from Vietnam Airlines for operation.