Vietnam to sign Boeing, Airbus contracts by yr end

HANOI, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Vietnam Airlines should speed talks with Boeing (BA.N) to sign a contract on purchasing 12 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft before Nov. 16, the Vietnamese government said on Friday.

It also ordered the national flag carrier to reach a contract to buy 10 competing Airbus A350-900XWB passenger jets and 20 single-aisle A321 jets before Dec. 21, the government said in a statement.

The state-run airline signed draft agreements with the planemakers on the purchases earlier this month.