Vietnam Airlines aircraft at Tan Son Nhat international airport in HCM City. The aviation industry is facing a human resource shortage.(Photo: VNA) Tran Thi Thai Binh, head of the Vietnam Aviation Academy’s AirTransport Economics Department, said there is significant demand foraviation professionals in major airports such as Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai,the under-construction Long Thanh airport, and others, as well as inairline companies.
The aviation industry currently employs around 44,000individuals in transportation, port and flightoperations. But the workforce is insufficient to meet theindustry’s growing demands, she said.
The demand for human resources will continue to rise,especially from 2023 to 2030, she noted.
In addition to airport expansions, passenger numbers aregradually recovering.
In the first half of this year, Vietnam saw a 30% increase inpassengers, according to a report by the Airports Corporation ofVietnam (ACV).
International passengers exceeded 14.4 million, almost five timeshigher than in the same period last year, according to the report.
Domestic and international airlines operated nearly 365,000 flights inthe first half, up 18% year-on-year, with over 99,200 internationalflights, up 150% year-on-year.
Dr. Bui Song Thu, Director of the Research Institute,said the industry will face a shortage of personnel in areas such asairport supervision, ground operations management, aircraft engineering,aircraft maintenance, and pilots.
According to a report by the International Air TransportAssociation (IATA), the aviation workforce needs to develop rapidly to handle atwo to four-fold increase in passengers over the next two decades.
Luong Thi Xuan, founder of Vietnam’s first Aviation Exhibition andCEO of the Aviation Exhibition Joint Stock Company, said the shortage ofhuman resources is not only a matter of quantity but also of quality andexpertise.
The Vietnam Aviation Academy has announced plans to providetraining in over 20 majors at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels,covering all activities such as technical practices, aviation operations,transportation economics, and aviation services.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, it aims to admit 2,635 students,including 119 students majoring in flight operations and 106 students inaviation engineering.
But the numbers fall significantly short of the total demand inthe market.
In terms of pilots, Vietnam only has the Viet Flight Training school,which trains less than 100 pilots annually.
Several private aviation companies have started offeringtraining in high-quality specialised fields, but they have not adequately metthe demand.
Limited admission quotas and unappealing majors are also contributingfactors to the shortage.
Ta Minh Trong, Director of Flight SafetyStandards at Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam,said professionals with an elementary-level certificate in theaviation industry can earn a salary of 15-20 million VND (650-870 USD) permonth.
Those with B1 and B2 licenses (aircraft maintenance techniciancertificates) and the ability to approve completed maintenance work can earn upto 50 million VND (around 2,170 USD) or more per month.
However, the lengthy study period and high cost make recruitmentfor the industry challenging, he noted.
The Vietnam Aviation Academy has announced plans to focus onresearching applications in aircraft maintenance training and training for safeaircraft parking using specialised equipment.
Dr. Ha Nam Khanh Giao, Deputy Director of the Vietnam AviationAcademy, recommended Vietnam collaborate with foreign universities and traininginstitutes to send students abroad for education.
According to a report by IATA, the aviationtransport sector could grow by 178% over the next 20 years if it followspre-pandemic trends.
If realised, the industry could contribute 35 billion USDto the economy and benefit 2.4 million workers, said thereport./.
VNA
