Vietnamese carrier Vietjet has placed a firm order with Airbus for an additional 50 A321neo single aisle aircraft, finalising a memorandum of understanding signed at the Farnborough International Airshow in July.

The purchase agreement was signed in Hanoi by Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Vietjet president, and Christian Scherer, Airbus chief commercial officer.

The signing was witnessed by Nguyen Xuan Phuc, prime minister of Vietnam and Edouard Philippe, prime minister of France, during his official visit to Vietnam.

“The fuel efficient A321neo will enable us to increase capacity and help us to expand the network significantly, especially on international routes,” said Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao.

The new purchase agreement increases the number of A320 Family aircraft ordered by Vietjet to 171, of which 46 have already been delivered.

This leaves the airline with a backlog of 125 aircraft on order with Airbus for future delivery, comprising 120 A321neo and five A321ceo.

The A321neo is the largest member of the best-selling Airbus single aisle family and is firmly established as the most popular aircraft in its size category, seating up to 240 passengers in a single class layout.

It also offers the longest range in its category, flying up to 4,000 nautical miles non-stop.

“We are honoured to be a long-term partner of Vietjet and to finalise this new order,” said Scherer.

“The airline’s latest preference for the Airbus product, in particular the A321, is a testimony to Vietjet’s professionalism and a great endorsement for the A321 in the highly competitive market.”