Vietnamese airlines sign deals for nearly 100 Boeing jets during party chief’s Washington visit

Three Vietnamese airlines announced deals Thursday to buy nearly 100 Boeing aircraft during a visit by the head of the country’s communist party, To Lam, to Washington, D.C.

The deals include commitments from Vietnam Airlines, Sun PhuQuoc Airways and VietJet, marking one of the largest civil aviation contracts announced by Vietnamese carriers.

Vietnam Airlines finalized an agreement to purchase 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets for $8 billion, a deal first announced in 2023.

Sun PhuQuoc Airways, a newly formed airline by the conglomerate Sun Group, also signed an agreement to purchase 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline, which began operations in November 2025, said the $22.5 billion deal represents Vietnam’s largest wide-body aircraft order to date and its first direct purchase from Boeing.

Sun Group’s Chairman Dang Minh Truong said in a statement that the aircraft would support long-haul expansion and help promote the resort island of Phu Quoc — where the company operates major tourism projects — as an international destination.