By Phuong Nguyen
HANOI (Reuters) -Vietnamese budget airline Vietjet plans to resume the use of COMAC jets next week after a one-month hiatus, according to two sources familiar with the matter, reinvigorating the Chinese planemaker’s international expansion.
The airline last month paused flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to the popular tourist destination of Con Dao after a six-month lease of two COMAC C909 regional jets from China’s Chengdu Airlines expired, citing high costs and regulatory challenges, Reuters reported.
That was a setback for COMAC, a rival to Airbus, Boeing and Brazil’s Embraer looking to overcome Western certification hurdles, low production and geopolitical challenges that have slowed the adoption of its aircraft globally.
Vietjet’s flights to Con Dao will restart on November 25, with four daily services, the company document reviewed by Reuters showed. It did not detail the aircraft model to be used, but the two sources said a six-month lease renewal with Chengdu Airlines would bring the C909 jets back into service.
Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media.
The new “wet lease” deal with Chengdu Airlines includes the provision of two C909 jets along with pilots, maintenance and operational support, one of the sources said, mirroring the previous arrangement. Vietjet is also evaluating other leasing options for COMAC planes, but they are still under regulatory review, the source added.
Vietjet declined to comment. COMAC and Chengdu Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The route to Con Dao island is constrained by the airport’s 1,800-m (5,900-ft) runway, limiting operators to specific aircraft types. The C909’s short-field capabilities align with these requirements.
The lease renewal comes as Vietjet, which primarily operates a more than 100-strong Airbus fleet, adjusts operations to accommodate travel demand ahead of the holiday season.
COMAC’s C909, which seats up to 90 passengers, has been operating commercially since 2016. The model is in service in China, Indonesia and Laos and has orders from carriers in Cambodia and Brunei.
Vietnam approved the operation of the C909 this year following a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Hanoi in April, further strengthening local ties with China’s aviation sector.
COMAC is also trying to gain more traction in international markets with its larger C919 narrow-body jets, a rival to Airbus’ A320neo and Boeing’s 737 MAX models. The C919 made its Middle Eastern flying debut at the Dubai Airshow this week.
(Reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Jamie Freed)
