Hanoi (VNA) ꦰ– International experts placed high value on the maintenance and technical capacity of Vietnam Airlines as well as the country’s aviation sector, with a hope that Vietnam will soon become an aircraft repair and maintenance centre in the region.

This is especially the case as construction of the Long Thanh International Airport progresses, as it is expected to become a major transit point within the global aviation industry. The remarks were made at a maintenance cost conference held by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Hanoi on October 4-6. The event attracted 150 guests from the world’s leading aviation organisations and businesses such as Airbus, Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa Technik, and easyJet. They discussed the aircraft use for passenger and cargo transportation in the world, and the prospects of the aircraft repair and maintenance market. Participants also looked into topics related to maintenance costs and technical issues that have emerged in recent years, including supply, repair and replacement chains, aircraft component monitoring, digital transformation, and data sharing. Addressing the event, a leader of Vietnam Airlines said by accompanying the conference, the national flag carrier wishes to demonstrate its efforts to apply new technologies, build capacity, and develop aircraft repair and maintenance infrastructure. For the last many years, Vietnam Airlines has been working hard to upgrade its fleet. It was the first in Asia-Pacific to concurrently receive new-generation Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and Airbus A350-900, and the first in Vietnam to operate Boeing 787-10 – the biggest passenger plane in the country at present. It has also upgraded its narrow-body aircraft fleet with Airbus A321neo put into use. A bigger and more modern fleet, higher requirements for maintenance capacity, and the fast growth of Vietnam’s aviation sector in the recent past have provided favourable conditions for Vietnam Airlines to promote its aircraft repair and maintenance capacity, the carrier’s leader noted. In particular, Vietnam Airlines has paid attention to conducting digital transformation in repair and maintenance management as seen in the application of a new information technology system, software supplied by aircraft manufacturers, and internally developed programming to improve repair and maintenance efficiency. The firm is working to better its maintenance capacity, minimise spending on outsourcing steps such as welding and maintenance, composite repair, and non-destructive testing. It is also developing independent technical capacity so that it can carry out design and manufacturing, and seek Vietnamese, US, and European approval for its self-made improvements and devices to increase the proactivity in maintenance, the carrier added. As part of the conference, delegates and experts from 22 aviation organisations and airlines in 14 countries visited the aircraft maintenance facility based at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi of the Vietnam Airlines Engineering Company (VAECO), an affiliate of Vietnam Airlines. VAECO has met standards set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, the Federal Aviation Administration of the US, the EU Aviation Safety Agency, and the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The qualification has enabled VAECO to provide repair and maintenance services for all fleets of Vietnam Airlines and over 80 other airlines around the world./.