VietJetAir adds first widebody jet, an A330

VietJetAir (VJ, Hanoi) has taken delivery of its first widebody aircraft in preparation for international growth.

A330-300 VP-CJW (msn 974) arrived in Ho Chi Minh City from Kuala Lumpur Int’l on December 25. The former AirAsia X (D7, Kuala Lumpur Int’l) jet, which is 13 years of age and was retired from service in May this year, will shortly be added to the Vietnamese register as VN-A811.

“Equipped with comfortable and spacious leather seats, along with quiet cabin in 12 business-seat and 365 normal-seat configuration, Vietjet’s new aircraft can cover from medium-haul trips to true long-range distances of up to 11,750km with fuel efficient and eco-friendly operation,” it said.

Although it has yet to specify any hard dates, the LCC plans to use the A330 to open up flights from Nha Trang Cam Ranh and Ho Chi Minh City (via Hanoi) to Moscow Sheremetyevo, Russia, its first European destination.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows the carrier also operates eighteen A320-200s, thirty-eight A321-200s, twelve A320-200Ns, and seven A321-200NXs.

VietJetAir expects to reopen regular international flights from January 1 with flights connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Tokyo Narita, Seoul Incheon, Taipei Taoyuan, Singapore Changi, and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi. As per government directive, during the first stage, all routes will operate once weekly return and will gradually increase in line with demand and pandemic measures.