During the state visit of Vietnamese General Secretary and President Tô Lam to France, VietJet Air has reaffirmed its commitment to an order of more than 400 LEAP-1B engines to power its Boeing 737 MAX fleet, along with additional spare engines. The engines are part of two orders previously announced in 2016 and 2018, with aircraft deliveries set to commence in 2025.
The signing ceremony took place at the Élysée Palace in Paris, witnessed by President Tô Lam, French President Emmanuel Macron and high-level delegations from both countries.
VietJet Air, a longstanding customer of CFM, currently operates 56 Airbus A321ceo and 17 A320ceo aircraft equipped with CFM56-5B engines. Dr Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Chairwoman of VietJet, remarked: “We deeply value and are honoured by this strategic partnership. World-leading engine manufacturers like Safran and CFM have worked alongside VietJet to provide affordable air travel for millions of people, driving growth in the dynamic Asia-Pacific aviation market, including Vietnam. Today's agreement for fuel-efficient engines reinforces our commitment to sustainability. Our passengers will enjoy even more efficient flights.”
The CFM LEAP engine family offers 15% to 20% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, along with significant noise reduction compared to previous-generation engines. With over 3,500 LEAP-powered aircraft in service, CFM customers have collectively saved more than 35 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. The LEAP engine has become CFM's most successful product introduction in its 50-year history, achieving the fastest ramp-up of engine flight hours in the industry, surpassing 60 million hours within just eight years.
