On Tuesday, VietJetAir ordered 63 A320 passenger planes with a list price of $6.4 billion (4.7 billion euros) in a massive expansion program underscoring Asia's pivotal role in the future of global aviation.

The deal covered rights to acquire or lease 38 more jets of the same make, boosting the Vietnamese carrier's current fleet.

"The A320 has proven to be extremely efficient in service and is a favorite with our passengers," VietJetAir Managing Director Luu Duc Khanh said in a statement.

Airbus representatives expressed satisfaction over the order, saying the company would "look forward to working with the Vietnamese airline as it brings more affordable air travel to the fast-growing South East Asian market."

Huge demand

Airbus CEO Fabrice Bregier said he expected passenger traffic growth year-on-year of close to 6 percent for the next two decades, adding that in Vietnam it would be up to 30 percent annually.

The European group announced that the Asia-Pacific region would take delivery of almost 11,000 passenger and cargo planes over the next 20 years.

So far, there have been more than 10,000 orders and 5,900 deliveries of A320s since it hit the market, making it the world's second best-selling single-aisle aircraft.

hg/mkg (AFP, dpa)