Vietnam Airlines agrees to $8 billion Boeing deal under Trump’s new US–Vietnam trade framework
October 27, 2025
![Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Vietnam Airlines announced the carrier has selected Boeing’s family of fuel-efficient airplanes to expand its future fleet with 50 737 MAX airplanes.](https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Boeing_Vietnam_Airlines_737-scaled.jpg)
Vietnam Airlines has agreed to buy 50 Boeing aircraft for more than $8 billion, as part of a landmark reciprocal trade deal announced by President Donald Trump in Hanoi on October 26, 2025.
In a joint statement, the White House and Vietnamese government described the framework as a way to “strengthen reciprocal, fair, and balanced trade” between them.
Vietnamese companies have signed 20 memorandums of understanding with US companies to purchase agricultural commodities, totalling over $2.9 billion. The aircraft order would be the most valuable part of the new trade deal.
A boost for Boeing with strategic significance
Vietnam Airlines’ commitment to Boeing aircraft will ease US trade concerns while reinforcing strategic ties between Hanoi and Washington. Vietnam had a US goods trade deficit of $123.5 billion in 2024, an 18.0% ($18.9 billion) increase from 2023. The aircraft deal signals Vietnam’s intention to balance its trade relationship with the US while modernising its national carrier’s fleet.
The White House announcement did not list the aircraft types involved. Vietnam Airlines currently operates a fleet of 96 aircraft, comprising Airbus A320s, A321s, and A350s, as well as 17 Boeing 787s. The airline had operated Boeing 737, 767, and 777 aircraft, but retired them from the fleet years ago.
Vietnam Airlines’ 737s exited service over three decades ago, and the airline retired its 767s between the mid-90s and early 2000s. It scrapped the last of its 777s in 2017.
Vietnam Airlines ordered 50 Boeing 737 MAX jets under the Biden administration
However, Vietnam Airlines has favoured Boeing in recent years as part of other trade negotiations. In 2023, Vietnam Airlines signed a deal with Boeing for 50 737 MAX jets, with the commitment announced during a signing ceremony with President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House officials, and Vietnamese government leaders. Officials said the commitment would “bolster jobs in both countries and strengthen the bilateral economic partnership.”
For Boeing, the new Trump deal is a timely win. The manufacturer continues to recover from production setbacks and certification delays, and a firm order from a flagship Asian airline reinforces confidence in its long-term demand outlook. The agreement could also help fill valuable production slots in the late 2020s and early 2030s.
Vietnam is a rapidly growing market
As the Hanoi Times has reported, Boeing’s Commercial Market Outlook shows Vietnam’s aviation sector is among the fastest-growing in Southeast Asia, driven by a rising middle class and post-pandemic recovery in tourism.
Vietnam Briefing reports that in 2024, Vietnam’s aviation sector handled 109 million passengers, and Vietnamese airlines transported over 54 million.
With new Boeing aircraft, Vietnam Airlines can expand its long-haul footprint—including direct flights to the US—and compete more aggressively with VietJet and Bamboo Airways for domestic traffic. In 2024, Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air combined accounted for more than 84% of the domestic market. Vietjet Air was slightly ahead of the flagship carrier with 42.8%.
The trade framework remains provisional; the White House stated both governments would work to finalise the agreement “in the coming weeks.” Boeing and Vietnam Airlines will likely finalise commercial contracts for the aircraft once the trade agreement is in place.
Featured Image: Boeing
