Major Vietjet Airbus deal boosts Broughton wing making plant

Vietnamese airline Vietjet has signed a major agreement with Airbus to buy 100 A321neo aircraft, with the option to add another 50 in the future, in a deal that will support production at Airbus’ Broughton wing factory.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the Paris Air Show by Vietjet CEO Dinh Viet Phuong and Airbus EVP Sales Benoît de Saint-Exupéry.

“This new agreement marks a significant milestone in our strategic partnership with Airbus,” said Vietjet Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao.

Airbus’ Benoît de Saint-Exupéry added, “Together the A321neo and A330neo will be perfect partners for Vietjet to continue to spread its wings… The airline will also benefit from the high levels of technical commonality that are unique to latest generation Airbus aircraft.”

Vietjet already operates a fleet of over 100 Airbus aircraft and is continuing to expand both its route network and aircraft numbers.

The A321neo is the largest aircraft in Airbus’ A320neo family and includes new engines and wingtip devices, known as Sharklets, which reduce fuel use and noise.

Wings for the A321neo are made at Airbus’ Broughton site in Deeside.

Other major announcements at the Paris Air Show included new orders from Riyadh Air, Japan’s ANA Holdings, and LOT Polish Airlines.

These deals form part of wider investment in Airbus’ aircraft family, though the A220 wings, also ordered, are not produced at Broughton.

The Welsh Government is using the Paris event to promote Wales’ aerospace sector. Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, highlighted the importance of aerospace and defence to the Welsh economy.

“Wales boasts world class capabilities in the defence and aerospace sectors and Paris Airshow represents a global platform to further raise the profile of Wales as a dynamic hub for inward investment,” she said.

Aerospace and defence contribute over £1.5 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the Welsh economy, with 285 companies supporting 16,000 jobs and a combined turnover of more than £3.7 billion. Airbus and other major global firms including RTX, GE Aerospace, BAE Systems and Thales maintain key facilities in Wales.