Vietnam's top leader urges Boeing to build component manufacturing factory

Vietnam’s Party chief and State President To Lam on Sunday (U.S. time) asked Boeing, the world’s biggest aviation group, to soon build a component manufacturing factory and a regional maintenance center linked to major airports in Vietnam.

“Vietnam pledges to create favorable conditions in line with legal regulations for U.S. investors and Boeing to operate effectively and sustainably in Vietnam,” Lam said at a reception for Boeing Global's president Brendan Nelson in New York, part of his working trip to the U.S.

The Vietnamese leader acknowledged Boeing’s commitments to support Vietnam in developing its aerospace and aviation industrial ecosystem in the coming time.

“Vietnam encourages Boeing to enhance cooperation and support in training human resources, and collaborate in R&D and technology transfer to help Vietnamese partners engage more deeply in the group’s supply chain,” he noted.

According to Lam, Vietnam is making significant investments in aviation infrastructure, notably the 5,000-hectare Long Thanh International Airport project in the southern province of Dong Nai and the expansion of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in the southern economic hub of Ho Chi Minh City. These projects aim to enhance the country’s capacity to accommodate increasing air traffic and support economic growth.

Therefore, he urged Boeing to continue closely collaborating with Vietnamese partners to deliver aircraft under the orders signed in the past time.

For his part, Nelson highlighted Boeing's effective collaboration with and support for Vietnamese airlines during their operations.

He noted his group has held numerous meetings with leaders of Vietnam Airlines to provide financial support and seek solutions to challenges, with a determination to fulfill the contract signed last year during President Joe Biden's visit to Vietnam by 2028.

Praising the top Vietnamese leader’s vision and perspective regarding the importance of the aviation economy in Vietnam's socio-economic development, Nelson said he believes that the development of the aviation sector will create new opportunities for Vietnam and its people.

Nelson affirmed Boeing’s commitment to support the establishment of an aviation ecosystem in Vietnam, with focus on infrastructure development, workforce training, and construction of airports and aircraft repair and maintenance facilities.

Boeing is the largest aerospace company in the world and a leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners, defense systems, space technology, and security solutions. It now employs over 140,000 people across 65 countries, with revenues exceeding $94.5 billion in 2020.