Three Vietnamese airlines signed major aircraft purchase and financing agreements with Boeing on Thursday, totaling more than $30 billion in commitments, as Vietnam and the United States continue negotiations toward a new bilateral trade deal.
The deals were announced during a visit to the United States by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam, who attended the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, a Trump administration initiative aimed at addressing global conflicts.
Key Agreements Announced
- Vietnam Airlines signed an $8.1 billion deal for 50 Boeing 737-8 narrow-body jets, with deliveries scheduled between 2030 and 2032. This order will increase the flag carrier’s fleet to approximately 151 aircraft by 2030. The airline is also in ongoing talks with Boeing for an additional 30 wide-body aircraft (likely 787 Dreamliners), valued at up to $12 billion.
- Sun PhuQuoc Airways, Vietnam’s newly established carrier focused on tourism routes, signed a $22.5 billion agreement for 40 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jets.
- Vietjet, the country’s leading budget airline, secured a $965 million financing deal with Griffin Global Asset Management for six Boeing 737-8 aircraft.
The total potential value of the commitments exceeds $30 billion, with additional wide-body discussions potentially pushing the figure higher. The agreements were signed in the presence of U.S. and Vietnamese officials and reflect Vietnam’s rapid aviation sector growth and Hanoi’s strategic effort to deepen economic ties with the United States.
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The deals are part of Vietnam’s broader push to diversify trade and investment partners amid ongoing trade negotiations with the U.S. In early February 2026, Vietnam signaled its willingness to purchase more American goods after the White House announced it would maintain tariffs on most Vietnamese imports at 20% while removing duties on select products. The aircraft orders serve as a high-profile demonstration of Vietnam’s commitment to balancing its trade relationship with Washington.
Vietnam’s aviation market is one of the fastest-growing in Asia, driven by rising middle-class travel, tourism recovery, and expanding international routes. The country’s carriers have placed some of the largest aircraft orders in the region in recent years, reflecting strong demand despite global supply chain constraints and high fuel prices.
Boeing’s Commercial Aviation Recovery Gains Momentum
The Vietnamese orders provide a significant boost to Boeing, which has shown signs of recovery under CEO Kelly Ortberg after years of crisis. Boeing delivered 46 aircraft in January 2026 and booked 103 net orders—outpacing Airbus (19 deliveries and 49 net orders) for the month. While Airbus maintained a larger overall delivery lead in 2025 (193 more aircraft), Boeing reclaimed the lead in net orders for the first time since 2018.
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury acknowledged ongoing challenges, particularly engine shortages from Pratt & Whitney, affecting the 2026 delivery outlook. Airbus now expects to deliver around 870 commercial aircraft in 2026—slightly below the analyst consensus of ~880—due to “unsatisfactory” engine supply. Shares of Airbus fell 6.2% on the news, pushing the stock into negative territory for 2026.
Boeing’s recovery is supported by improved production stability, resolution of 737 MAX certification issues, and renewed confidence from major customers. Ortberg has emphasized near-term production ramp-up and cost discipline following $19.5 billion in EV-related write-downs and a strategic refocus on core aviation strengths.
Vietnam’s Increasing Role in the Aviation Market
Vietnam’s carriers are capitalizing on one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets. Pre-COVID passenger traffic growth averaged 15–20% annually, and recovery has been strong since 2023. The country is projected to become one of the top 10 fastest-growing aviation markets globally through 2035, according to Boeing’s Commercial Market Outlook.
The deals also highlight Boeing’s continued strength in the narrow-body (737) and wide-body (787) segments, despite competition from Airbus’s A320neo and A350 families. The 737-8 remains the best-selling narrow-body aircraft globally, while the 787 Dreamliner has carved out a strong position in long-haul, medium-capacity routes—key for Vietnam’s expanding international network.
The Geopolitics Driving the Deals
The aircraft orders coincide with ongoing U.S.-Vietnam trade negotiations and reflect Hanoi’s desire to strengthen economic ties with Washington amid complex regional dynamics, including South China Sea tensions and supply-chain diversification away from China. Vietnam has positioned itself as a key beneficiary of “China+1” manufacturing shifts, attracting significant foreign direct investment from U.S., Japanese, and Korean firms.
The timing of the deals—during To Lam’s visit and the Board of Peace inaugural meeting—underscores the linkage between economic cooperation and broader diplomatic engagement. The U.S. has sought to deepen ties with Vietnam as a strategic counterweight in Southeast Asia, and large-scale commercial agreements like these help build momentum.
The orders provide a timely boost to Boeing’s commercial backlog at a moment when Airbus faces engine supply constraints and quality challenges. The deals also reinforce Boeing’s position in one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, where narrow-body and wide-body demand is expected to remain robust for the next decade.