HANOI - The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport (MOT) will support Vietnam Airlines to invest in new technology in order to improve service and strengthen competitiveness, including buying Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger plane, MOT reported on Friday.

However, the national carrier should assess the capacity of the local aviation infrastructure for the Airbus A380, and study the market and make effective plans for an investment in the aircraft to generate profits, said MOT.

According to MOT, Vietnam Airlines plans to expand its fleet to 115 aircraft by 2015 and 170 aircraft by 2020.

In 2011, the Vietnam Airlines expects to carry more than 14 million passengers and 193,000 tons of cargo, an increase of 20 percent and 16 percent respectively year-on-year.