* Contract covers 45 engines on Airbus aircraft
* Deal comes after VietJet bought engines, jets from CFM, Airbus
* VietJet to receive first plane from Airbus order on Tuesday (Changes attribution, adds number of engines, Snecma executive comment, background)
By Ho Binh Minh
HANOI, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Budget airline VietJet Air said on Tuesday it has signed a $300 million engine maintenance contract with CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric Co and Safran SA subsidiary Snecma.
Under the contract, CFM will maintain engines on the Vietnamese carrier's 21 Airbus Group NV A320 aircraft for 12 years, VietJet Air and CFM said in a joint statement.
CFM will also provide technical assistance for engines on other Airbus planes operated by VietJet Air, bringing to 45 the number of engines covered by the contract, the companies said.
"This airline has accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time and we are thrilled to be such an integral part of their team," Gael Meheust, vice president of sales and marketing at CFM parent Snecma, said in the statement.
VietJet Air in December agreed to buy 40 engines for Airbus aircraft for $800 million from CFM International, about three months after agreeing to buy 92 planes for $9 billion from Airbus.
The carrier later in February placed a firm order for 63 Airbus jets, secured 30 purchase options, and said it would lease another seven.
VietJet Air is scheduled to receive the first of those planes in France later on Tuesday, the company said in the statement with CFM.
VietJet Air, Vietnam's first privately owned airline, flies to Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, as well as to eight domestic destinations.
The airline plans to order Boeing Co planes to expand its network in Asia-Pacific and Europe, including Russia, to meet demand from a growing Vietnamese middle class.
(Additional Reporting by Mai Nguyen)