VietJet to transfer 50 B737 MAXs to Thai-based subsidiary

Amid a round of rapid growth and the development of international expansion plans, Vietnamese private budget carrier Vietjet Air has announced an agreement with Boeing to transfer up to 50 Boeing 737 aircraft to its Thailand-based subsidiary known as Thai Vietjet Air. The move comes as the airline seeks to strengthen aviation and tourism connectivity between Thailand, Vietnam, as well as other countries in the region, and follows a recent deal to set up a new subsidiary in Kazakhstan.

According to Asian Aviation, under the agreement, Vietjet Air will allocate 50 aircraft from its existing outstanding order of 200 Boeing 737s to its Thai Vietjet Air sister airline, with deliveries of the first aircraft projected to begin in October 2025. The growth across the border in Thailand will see Vietjet Air significantly expand across the region and will pitch it head-to-head with other major low-cost Asia airlines, including Air Asia Thailand and Nok Air, as well as the national carrier Thai Airways.

Vietjet Air previously signed an initial order for the Boeing 737 MAX in 2016 during a visit to Vietnam by then-US President Barack Obama. This deal was increased at the Farnborough Air Show in 2018 when the airline signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an additional 100 aircraft. More recently, in April 2025, Vietjet Air and AV AirFinance signed a financial agreement totaling US$300 million to cover the financing of the new Boeing fleet.