(Bloomberg) -- Vietnam Airlines JSC will issue a tender for 50 narrowbody jets in the first half of next year with Boeing Co. a lead contender to win the order, Chief Executive Officer Le Hong Ha said.
“It is open to everyone. Boeing is one option — a good option because they gave a very good offer to us,” Ha said, while suggesting that Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd. would also be considered.
Vietnam’s national carrier will issue at a later date a second tender for roughly the same number of single-aisle and widebody jets, Ha added, speaking at the annual meeting of Asian airlines in Brunei on Wednesday.
Vietnam Airlines in 2023 signed a commitment to buy Boeing’s 737 Max jets, but hasn’t yet finalized the order. The carrier will issue the new tender to all manufacturers to make their best offers.
The airline is looking to grow in size to 170 aircraft by 2035 as it seeks to fully rebound from the pandemic — which decimated its finances — while fending off budget rival VietJet Air, which threatens to overtake it as the country’s largest carrier.
In the near term, Vietnam Air is seeking to raise around $1 billion in capital, which it expects to get approval for by the end of the year. The fundraising will happen in two stages, the first of which will take place by the second half of 2025, Ha said.
(Adds further comments from CEO Ha on order, capital raise plans.)
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