Vietnam Airlinesmay get 4 7E7s

Published 9:00 pm Monday, November 22, 2004

Vietnam Airlines could become the next customer for the Boeing Co.’s new 7E7.

The Vietnamese government has approved further talks between Boeing and the state-owned airline for four of the jets, the Vietnam News Agency reported Monday.

“They’re very interested,” Boeing spokeswoman May Kulthol said.

The new planes would “fit right in,” with the airline’s plans to expand and update its fleet, she said. “They do operate several 767 already, and they’re leasing those airplanes.”

The leases will expire about the time the 7E7 will come onto the market, in 2008, Kulthol said.

The airline wants to double its fleet to more than 70 planes by 2010, the news agency said. That will include 10 new Airbus A321 jets, which the government approved buying last week.

The Vietnam announcement came the same day American Airlines said it and Boeing had agreed to delay the delivery of 54 jets.

American said Monday it would delay taking 47 737-800 jets by seven years and seven 777 aircraft by six years.

Instead, American said it would add only 777s in 2006, including one originally scheduled for delivery in 2007, to help expand international flights.

The move lets American, the nation’s largest carrier, delay $2.7 billion in spending through 2010, more than half of which was expected to occur in 2005-07. The company has lost about $7 billion since the beginning of 2001.

Boeing said it has already factored the delayed orders into its financial guidance.

Also Monday, Irish low-cost carrier RyanAir announced it plans to spend $240 million to buy four new 737-800 jets and to establish a new base at Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport.

The new planes will help RyanAir offer flights on new routes from Liverpool to nine European cities, the airline said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.