Vietnam Airlines, leasing company order 12 Boeing 787 dreamliners
03 Jan 2008
Boeing has announced that it has finalised an order for 12 new midsize, long-range 787 dreamliners from Vietnam Airlines and Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Co (VALC). The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 787-8s are worth about $2 billion at list prices, but customers usually negotiate hefty discounts. While Vietnam Airlines will buy four planes, VALC will purchase the other eight and lease them to Vietnam Airlines.
This is the first order for aircraft ever placed by VALC, a partnership formed last year by Vietnam Airlines, the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group, Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group and Phong Phu Corp.
The latest orders will be added to the 2007 order total Boeing is set to release on Thursday 3 January. It pushes the 787 order total tally to 802. Vietnam Airlines, ordered four 787s about three years ago, and is scheduled to take delivery of its first dreamliner in 2009.
The 787 is the first large commercial jetliner made mostly of carbon-fibre composites rather than aluminium alloy. Boeing is scheduled to begin test flights within the next few months and deliver the first plane by the end of the year, after early supply chain and production problems forced a six-month delay.
