Vietjet ceased operating two Chinese-made COMAC C909 aircraft on October 18 after a six-month lease expired, reported Reuters.

The aircraft were introduced in Vietnam shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Hanoi in April, underscoring the political symbolism of the move as a sign of closer strategic and economic ties.

Vietjet has chosen not to renew the lease and currently has no plans to acquire aircraft from China's state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC), according to two sources familiar with the matter. Vietjet declined to comment, while COMAC did not respond to inquiries.

The lease represented the first deployment of Chinese aircraft on domestic Vietnamese routes, including Hanoi-Con Dao and Ho Chi Minh City-Con Dao. It was seen as a milestone for COMAC, which has faced challenges in securing international operators for its planes.