VN-A381, an Airbus A330-200, has been retired from commercial service. Vietnam Airlines has operated A330s for the past 13 years and is now replacing them with more fuel efficient Airbus A350s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Since joining Vietnam Airlines’ fleet in October 2006, the Airbus A330s (-200 and -300) have served nearly 20 million passengers in almost 96,000 flights, on both international and domestic routes. With up to 12 aircraft at their peak, the A330s were mainly used for mid-range flights like Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City and long-haul flights to Europe, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. The airline’s 777s have also been retired.
Vietnam Airlines, which has been cleared this month to fly to the US – direct flights from Hanoi and Saigon to several American destinations – said it needs at least 34 widebody aircraft by 2025, and 40 by 2030.