K&L Gates advised Vietnam Airlines on an USD8 billion aircraft purchasing agreement with American plane manufacturer Boeing, making it one of the largest such orders in the airline’s history.

Singapore partner and director of K&L Gates Straits Law, Duc T Nguyen led the transaction team working on the deal, which involves the purchase of 50 Boeing 737‑8 narrow‑body aircraft.

“A core focus of our work was assisting Vietnam Airlines in managing the legal and commercial risks typically associated with long‑term OEM aircraft purchase programmes,” Nguyen told Asia Business Law Journal.

He said this included advising on market‑standard contractual provisions addressing delivery and delay risk, performance and technical matters, termination scenarios, limitation of liability and remedies, and the allocation of risk and responsibility between the airline and the manufacturer throughout the life of the programme.

The firm also advised on relevant aviation regulatory approvals, corporate governance issues and state-related compliance considerations for a transaction of this nature, said Nguyen.

The acquisition supports Vietnam Airlines’ plans to expand and optimise its domestic and regional network, improve fuel efficiency and operational performance, and strengthen its competitiveness in a growing aviation market.

Boeing’s in-house legal team handled the transaction.