Vietjet has announced a new cooperation with Thai authorities to develop a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) technical centre at U-Tapao International Airport, in a move intended to support the carrier’s fast-growing operations in Thailand and strengthen the country’s role as a regional maintenance hub.
The partnership involves Vietjet and Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EECO) and focuses on establishing an MRO facility designed to support Vietjet’s flight operations, enhance technical capabilities, improve fleet availability and shorten aircraft maintenance turnaround times. The project also aims to reduce the airline’s reliance on overseas maintenance providers as its regional fleet expands.
The planned U-Tapao centre is positioned to back the growth of Thai Vietjet, Vietjet’s Thai subsidiary, which is targeting a fleet of about 50 Boeing 737-8 aircraft in the coming years, sourced from Vietjet’s existing order book. Thai Vietjet already operates a growing fleet of 737-8s, with industry reports indicating delivery of a 10th aircraft in the current period, although detailed timelines for the MRO facility’s construction and entry into service have not yet been disclosed.
The initiative is integrated into Thailand’s broader Eastern Economic Corridor strategy, under which U-Tapao is being developed as an “aerotropolis” combining aviation maintenance, logistics and high-tech services. The agreement also envisages promoting investment in aviation technical infrastructure, technology transfer and the training of a skilled aeronautical workforce, alongside efforts to bolster regional air connectivity across Southeast Asia.
For the aviation industry, the project underscores both Vietjet’s long-term commitment to the Thai market and Thailand’s ambition to compete as a regional MRO hub alongside existing centres elsewhere in Southeast Asia.