Bamboo Airways has announced an order for 20 Boeing 787-9s in a deal that would be worth $5.6bn at current list prices, when finalized. The announcement was made during a signing ceremony at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce office, witnessed by Vuong Dinh Hue, deputy prime minister of Vietnam, and Nazak Nikakhtar, Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration.

Bamboo Airways completed the deposit requirement in mid-June to reserve the 20 aircraft, which are tentatively scheduled for delivery from April 2020 through 2021.

Bamboo Airways is a startup airline that plans to begin commercial operations in 2019 out of the capital city of Hanoi. The carrier plans to offer flights within Vietnam before expanding into other Northeast Asian markets such as China, Korea and Japan.

The airline's long-term vision is “to connect Vietnam to key markets within Asia, Europe and North America,” says Trinh Van Quyet, Chairman of FLC Group, 100% owner of Bamboo Airways.

FLC Group is one of the largest conglomerates in Vietnam and is involved in a wide range of businesses including real estate development, hotel construction and management, financial services, and mining.

In March, FLC Group signed an MoU with Airbus for up to 24 A321neo aircraft.