Vietjet has signed an agreement with Shanghai-based SPDB Financial Leasing (SPDBFL) for the finance lease of 10 C909 aircraft. The C909 — formerly known as ARJ21 — are assembled by Chinese OEM COMAC.
The agreement will see Vietjet gradually introduce COMAC aircraft into operations on routes between Vietnam and China.
This deal marks the first time the Vietnamese airline will operate the aircraft directly. However, Vietjet does have an ACMI deal with Chengdu Airlines to wet lease two COMAC C909s, which were expected to enter service in late November last year.
In late October 2025, the airline initially did not renew its six-month wet lease contract with Chengdu Airlines for the two C909s, before entering into a new ACMI deal the following month.
A person familiar with the matter told Airline Economics in October 2025 that this was driven by the airline's aims to transition into long-term dry leases, and that it had not withdrawn from the C909 programme. The source added that the airline had encountered no technical issues with the aircraft.
During a signing event, the airline launched five new routes to China. These include: Hanoi-Hangzhou, Hanoi-Enshi, Hanoi-Huangshan, Ho Chi Minh City-Guilin, and Ho Chi Minh City-Huangshan.
The Hanoi-Enshi and Ho Chi Minh City-Guilin routes began operating earlier this month.