HANOI-BASED Vietnam Airlines is to buy six new Airbus aircraft A380 superjumbos in a deal worth almost £1.1bn at list prices.

The agreement between the flag carrier and Airbus also includes an industrial partnership to build certain parts for Airbus and the establishment of a pilot and engineer training centre in the country.

In addition to the superjumbos, the deal includes two A350XWB-900 wide-body planes. The wings for the six aircraft will be built at Airbus’ Broughton plant, near Chester.

The deal is a boost for Airbus on eve of next week’s Dubai air show at which it will compete with US rival manufacturer Boeing for orders which this year have thinned out due to the downturn in global aviation.

Vietnam Airlines officials recently expressed concern about production delays to its order of 16 of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

The carrier had intended to use the aircraft to serve its long haul services including direct flights to the United States.

Vietnam Airlines will be the first new customer for the A380 aircraft since 2006.

Earlier this week Gulf-based Emirates said it could buy more aircraft from Airbus and Boeing as the airline prepares for the global recovery.

Emirates is the largest customer for the superjumbo, with 58 aircraft on order, but says there will be a delay in the delivery of some of the double-decker jets ordered for mid-2010, hitting its route expansion plans.

The airline said it should have had 15 A380s by June 2010 but the last of that batch is not expected to be handed over to it until next November.

Airbus is working to get its A380 assembly schedule back on track by 2011 after cutting projected production figures for the aircraft this year.