Vietnam Airlines eyes two long-haul jets

Vietnam Airlines eyes two long-haul jets

HANOI (AFP): State-owned Vietnam Airlines has requested government permission to place orders for two long-haul jetliners worth US$300 million in 2002, a company spokesman told AFP Monday.

The airline has not yet decided whether to buy the Airbus A- 340 or the Boeing 777 but has already contacted the rival European and U.S. aircraft manufacturers, the spokesman said.

The two new jets will be used for Vietnam Airlines' existing routes to Europe as well as destinations in the United States which the airline hopes will be opened up by a long-awaited aviation agreement with Washington.

A limited agreement allowing code-sharing between the two countries' airlines was inked by the two sides in March but talks on direct flights are still continuing.

Earlier this year Vietnamese officials said the talks had ran into difficulty over Washington's demand for so-called "fifth freedom" rights allowing its airlines to fly through third countries.

Hanoi has also demanded the right to fly to at least five U.S. cities rather than the two or three it says Washington is currently offering.

In the past three months Vietnam Airlines has announced a series of new aircraft leasing and purchase agreements which will come into effect by June next year.

When the planes are all delivered, the airline's fleet will consist of five Boeing 767s, 10 Airbus A-320s, six French-built ATR 72s and two Fokker 70s.