Hanoi, 8 November 2019 – Vietnam Airlines today has signed a 12-year EngineWise Comprehensive service agreement for Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engine maintenance for the airline’s fleet of 20 Airbus A321neo aircraft with Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. Vietnam Airlines entered service with their first A321neo in late 2018.
Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc and the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross attended the signing ceremony in Hanoi, along with delegations of officials from Vietnam Airlines and Pratt & Whitney.
Dang Ngoc Hoa, Executive Vice President, Vietnam Airlines said: “Vietnam Airlines’ objective is to maintain the highest level of safety, performance, and reliability throughout our entire fleet, which includes GTF-powered aircraft. With Pratt & Whitney’s EngineWise services solutions, we are able to optimize our fleet and better serve our customers.”
Chief Customer Officer and Senior Vice President of Pratt & Whitney Rick Deurloo said: “We are thrilled to provide Vietnam Airlines with state-of-the-art service technologies for their GTF engines. We appreciate the close relationship we have developed with the airline and look forward to supporting their fleet for many years to come.”
Since entering into service in early 2016, the GTF engine has demonstrated its promised ability to reduce fuel burn by 16 percent, to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 50 percent compared to the regulatory standard, and to reduce the noise footprint by 75 percent.
Vietnam Airlines first took delivery of the first A321neo in late 2018 out of its order book of 20, boasting one of the youngest and modern fleet in the region. The arrival of the new fleet is a significant step in the flag carrier’s narrow-body fleet strategy. A321neo is the largest member of the A320 family with wider aisles and seats and is installed with wireless streaming entertainment where passengers can use personal devices to connect to the aircraft’s entertainment system. This aircraft offers exceptional operational performance with 15-20% reduced fuel burn and outstanding passenger comfort and amenities.