Vietnam Airlines signed two deals worth $1 billion on the maintenance of Airbus A321neo aircraft engines with aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and deploying a management system and optimizing new generation revenue with the Texas-based tech company Sabre on November 8, witnessed by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

Pratt & Whitney will provide a 12-year comprehensive engine maintenance service for PurePower Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines installed on Vietnam Airlines’ Airbus A321neo aircraft.

The carrier began receiving and operating the first A321neo aircraft installed with this engine at the end of 2018 and will have a total of 20 A321neo aircraft by 2020.

“We are delighted to be providing engine maintenance services to Vietnam Airlines, as well as being ready to support its fleet in the coming years,” said Mr. Rick Deurloor, Senior Vice President of Customer Relations at Pratt & Whitney.

Under the contract with Saber, Vietnam Airlines will apply the most advanced software for management and the optimization of revenue.

Vietnam Airlines will be able to analyze in-depth each flight and each journey as well as more accurately predict market needs, thereby making decisions to increase ticket sales. Vietnam Airlines’ customers will benefit from booking seats and accessing incentives.

This cooperation is also a milestone marking ten years of cooperation between Vietnam Airlines and the leading US tech corporation. It is also a step by Vietnam Airlines in staying abreast of trends in Industry 4.0 towards becoming a digital airline.

Ms. Dasha Kuksenko, Vice President of Sabre Travel Solutions, said that revenue optimization and preferential management strategies are especially important factors in succeeding in the context of fierce competition in the Asia-Pacific aviation market.

“We are honored to once again provide intelligent technology solutions to accelerate the development of Vietnam Airlines and enhance its ability to serve passengers,” she added.

Mr. Duong Tri Thanh, General Director of Vietnam Airlines, said it is always proactively exploring and applying the world’s advanced services and technologies to improve operating efficiency.

“The major contracts in the field of engine maintenance and information technology today will be a solid basis for Vietnam Airlines to better meet the needs of passengers, improve competitiveness, and complete strategic goals in the future,” he said.

Vietnam Airlines has a long history of cooperation with Pratt & Whitney and Sabre. Pratt & Whitney has been cooperating with the national flag carrier since the 1990s through engine supply contracts for Boeing 767 aircraft. Sabre, meanwhile, has collaborated with Vietnam Airlines for many years to develop IT applications for its operations. VN Economic Times

Ngoc Lan

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