The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will receive new 16 planes in the upcoming year, says General Director Pham Ngoc Minh. According to the plan, the airlines will get new Airbus A321s in 2010 to increase the number of flights and open new routes to Northeast Asia.

Vietnam Airlines is now developing a fleet of 58 planes, consisting of 34 Airbuses (10 A320, 17 A321 and 7 A330) and 10 Boeing 777s.

The airlines is scheduled to increase its fleet to a total of 104 planes by 2015 and raise that number to 150 by 2020.

Also in 2010, Vietnam Airlines will officially join in the SkyTeam, the global airline alliance partnering eleven members and three associate carriers.

CPV/VOV