China's regional jetliner C909 begins commercial operations in Vietnam

(ENCS) -- Two Chinese homegrown regional jetliners, or C909, under a wet leasing arrangement to VietJet Air, officially inaugurated flights from Hanoi via Con Dao to Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, marking the beginning of commercial operations of Chinese commercial aircraft in Vietnam.

Wet leasing is a common global model in which the lessor provides not only the aircraft but also crew, maintenance, insurance, and operational support.

The lessor, Chengdu Airlines, established a dedicated team to actively advance various preparations and leveraged its extensive experience in operating C909 aircraft to efficiently ensure smooth operations in Vietnam.

Vietjet, Vietnam's first private airline, is a major operator on domestic and regional Asia-Pacific routes. It ranks among the top in Vietnam in terms of annual passenger volume. The two C909 aircraft will further enhance its fleet capacity, expand its regional network, and contribute to the development of Vietnam's aviation market.

So far, three overseas airlines including Indonesia's TransNusa Airlines, Lao Airlines, and Vietnam's VietJet Air, are collectively operating 15 routes in Southeast Asia using C909 aircraft, transporting over 250,000 passengers.

(By Li Yan)