Start-up airline Sun PhuQuoc orders 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in bold long-haul push
February 19, 2026
Boeing and Sun PhuQuoc Airways have formalised an agreement for up to 40 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, in a deal valued at approximately $22.5 billion at list prices should all options be exercised.
The contract was announced on 18 February 2026 at a signing event in Washington, DC, attended by Vietnam’s General Secretary To Lam, senior U.S. officials and leaders from both Boeing and Sun Group.
The Dreamliners will serve as the backbone of Sun PhuQuoc’s future widebody fleet, and are intended to enable intercontinental services, including potential direct flights to the United States, Europe and other major global markets.
The Boeing 787-9’s long-range capability, fuel efficiency and passenger comfort were cited by airline leadership as key factors in the selection. Chairman Dang Minh Truong emphasised the strategic fit of the Dreamliner with the airline’s “vision of bringing Phu Quoc to the world and bringing the world to Phu Quoc.”
The commitment also represents the largest widebody aircraft order in Vietnamese aviation history, highlighting both the airline’s ambitions and the confidence of its parent company in future long-haul demand.
Sun PhuQuoc: Vietnam’s start-up airline with big ambitions
Sun PhuQuoc Airways is one of Vietnam’s newest carriers, having been founded in January 2025 by conglomerate Sun Group and receiving its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) later that year.
The airline commenced commercial operations in November 2025, initially using a fleet of Airbus A320/A321 family aircraft on domestic and short-haul international routes.
Differentiating itself from the country’s low-cost carriers, Sun PhuQuoc promotes a “resort aviation” model, closely integrated with Sun Group’s tourism and hospitality ecosystem on Phu Quoc Island.
This approach aims to offer seamless connectivity between leisure destinations and international visitors, with the carrier using Phu Quoc International Airport as its primary hub.
The airport, which is being expanded with new runways and terminal capacity to handle larger aircraft by 2027, sits at the heart of the group’s broader tourism infrastructure strategy.
Despite its youth, the airline has moved quickly: it now operates multiple Airbus narrow-body jets and has outlined fleet expansion targets well into the decade, with plans to grow both its route network and aircraft count substantially.
Trade deals and tourism growth give Boeing a strong position in Vietnam
The announcement of Sun PhuQuoc’s Dreamliner order came amid a broader flurry of aerospace deals signed during To Lam’s visit to the United States, where Vietnamese carriers agreed on aircraft purchases and financing agreements totalling around $30 billion.
Alongside the 787 pact, national flag-carrier Vietnam Airlines confirmed an $8.1 billion order for 50 Boeing 737-8s – a major commitment aimed at bolstering its narrowbody fleet through the early 2030s. Other financing deals, including a Vietjet 737 acquisition package, were also announced in parallel.
These commercial agreements are occurring against the backdrop of ongoing Vietnam-U.S. trade talks and deepening economic engagement, with aircraft purchases often cited as a tangible marker of stronger bilateral commercial ties.
Analysts say such deals reflect both Vietnam’s surging aviation demand and a strategic alignment towards long-haul connectivity and infrastructure investment.
Vietnam’s aviation market is projected to be one of the fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, with annual passenger growth expected to remain robust through the end of the decade, fuelled by rising incomes, expanding tourism promotion and liberalised air-service agreements.
For a startup like Sun PhuQuoc, the Dreamliner order positions it to compete in a vastly larger global arena, signalling confidence in both Vietnam’s long-term aviation demand and the island resort model it champions.
Featured image: Boeing
