The Vietnam Aviation Academy has proposed to the Ministry of Transport to use a Cambodian passenger jet abandoned at Noi Bai International Airport for a decade for its training activities.

Abandoned Cambodian passenger jet left at Noi Bai International Airport for a decade

The academy has submitted the proposal to the ministry three times over the use of the Boeing 727-200 aeroplane previously owned by Cambodia’s Royal Khmer Airlines which has been parked at the airport since May 2007 following a technical malfunction.  

In the latest document sent to the ministry, the academy director Nguyen Thi Hai Hang said that despite being left for many years and without the ability to conduct flights anymore, the aeroplane can be used by the academy for training. Based on the aircraft’s technical documents, lecturers can design practice for their students.

It can be useful for many subjects of the academy such as the training of flight staff and air traffic controllers and aviation security.

Once approved, the academy will seek ways to move the aircraft from Noi Bai International Airport to its branch in Cam Ranh, Khanh Hoa Province. The total cost for moving the aeroplane can be around VND2.5 billion (USD113,636).

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue instructed the auctioning of the plane. The Ministry of Transport was assigned to organise the auction and the money from the auction will go to the state budget.

However, to date, the auction has attracted no participants as they said the aircraft now can’t operate and could only be used for display and as a coffee shop.

Meanwhile, it is estimated that this 80-tonne aeroplane has cost around USD605,800 in parking fees at Noi Bai Airport since late 2007.

In November 2014, the Cambodian State Secretariat of Civil Aviation notified Vietnam’s aviation authorities that the Royal Khmer Airlines operator's certificate had been revoked. The ill-fated Boeing B727-200 had its aircraft registration removed in October 2008 by Cambodian authorities.

The ownership of the abandoned aircraft has been transferred to the Vietnamese government.

dtinews