WASHINGTON, United States, Feb 19, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air announced Wednesday that they have signed a series of contracts with American aerospace companies worth a total of $14.4 billion, including $8.1 billion in orders to Boeing.

National carrier Vietnam Airlines placed an order for around 50 Boeing 737-8 aircraft, and opened discussions for an additional order for around 30 wide-body aircraft in the future, the airline said in a statement.

The agreement creates "a solid foundation for our ambition to become a leading airline by 2030," the carrier's chairman, Dang Ngoc Hoa, said in a statement.

Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air also announced two contracts, totalling $6.3 billion.

Of that, about $5.4 billion will go toward supplies and maintenance of engines for 44 Airbus A320 series aircrafts by US manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

Around $960 million remaining will go towards leasing six Boeing 737 series aircraft from Griffin Global Asset Management.

The signing took place on the sidelines of Vietnamese leader To Lam's visit to Washington, where he is expected to join the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace."

The agreements come as the two countries continue trade negotiations on US tariffs on Vietnamese products, currently set at 20 percent.

Vietnam, a manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, has posted eight percent growth despite the new US tariffs, defying expectations at a time when many feared the collapse of its export-driven growth model.