Vietjet to take delivery of first Boeing 737 MAX after 9-year delay: Reuters

Vietnamese low-cost carrier Vietjet is set to take delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, more than nine years after placing an initial order for the type. 

The handover ceremony is planned to occur at a Boeing facility in Seattle on September 21, 2025, and will reportedly include Vietnam’s president Luong Cuong, according to a preliminary schedule seen by Reuters. 

Vietjet’s lengthy wait for its first 737 MAX is primarily due to the global grounding of the aircraft following two tragic crashes in October 2018 and March 2019, which resulted in delivery delays and made aircraft financing more difficult. 

In February 2019, Vietjet also revised its fleet strategy, initially aiming for an all-Airbus fleet before reverting to orders from Boeing. 

In August 2025, the Trump administration imposed a 20% tariff on Vietnamese products, further complicating Vietjet’s financing and planning for its fleet. 

If confirmed, the first 737 MAX will be Vietjet’s first non-Airbus aircraft. A second Boeing aircraft could be delivered in October 2025, according to Reuters. 

The delivery of Vietjet’s first Boeing 737 MAX in 2025 is part of an initial order of 100 aircraft placed in 2016. This order was signed during a visit to Vietnam by former US President Barack Obama. The deal was expanded at the Farnborough Air Show in 2018, where the airline signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 100 more aircraft. 

New widebody aircraft 

In other developments, on September 14, 2025, the airline announced the addition of a new widebody A330 aircraft with the registration VN-A820, increasing its total fleet to 121 aircraft. Vietjet stated that this represents a “significant milestone” in its strategy for global network expansion. 

The airline said the A330 will start operating right away on routes to Australia, Kazakhstan, India, Japan, and Europe. The airline currently has over 400 new aircraft on order from Airbus and Boeing scheduled for delivery by 2030. The post Vietjet to take delivery of first Boeing 737 MAX after 9-year delay: Reuters appeared first on AeroTime.

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