VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam will have to struggle for years to build an aircraft manufacturing industry, but it could become a regional maintenance center in the near future, experts say.

Vietnam will have to struggle for years to build an aircraft manufacturing industry, but it could become a regional maintenance center in the near future, experts say.

The US Federal Aviation Administration presented a Certificate of FAA Certified Repair Station (FAR Part 145) to Aerospace Engineering Services Company (AESC) on December 1, an important event in Vietnam’s aviation industry. 

AESC is the only Vietnamese enterprise that has received certification from two of the most prestigious aviation authorities - EASA and FAA

AESC, a private business, provides MRO (maintenance, repair, operations) services for aircraft components such as wheels and brakes, oxygen cylinders, aircraft seats and galley inserts like ovens, boilers, and coffeemakers to customers. 

Its clients include Vietnamese air carriers such as Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific, Vietjet Air and VASCO, and foreign carriers such as Lao Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air, Sky Angkor Air, Bassaka Air, Air Bagan and EGAT.

Apart from MRO, AESC also provides other services like designing and manufacturing aircraft interior equipment, manufacturing ground support equipment and aviation consultancy. 

AESC is the only Vietnamese enterprise that has received certification from two of the most prestigious aviation authorities - EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) and FAA.

Vu Quoc Huy, deputy head of the Hanoi University of Technology’s Institute of Engineering Dynamics, said the standards set by EASA and FAA were very strict.

Nguyen Duc Cuong, chair of the Vietnam Aviation – Aerospace Association, said that besides AESC, Vietnam has one more aircraft maintenance enterprise – VAECO, a state-owned enterprise (SOE). 

As a subsidiary of the nation’s flag air carrier Vietnam Airlines, VAECO has some civil aircraft repair factories with dozens of years of experience in the field and a labor force of several thousand skilled workers.

An analyst noted that there were big differences in operation between private businesses and SOEs. He doubts that SOEs would work hard if they cannot expect high pay.

“The problem does not lie in Vietnam’s technology level and workers’ skills, but in the management scheme,” he said.

Cuong from the Vietnam Aviation – Aerospace Association believes that Vietnam is quite capable of becoming an aircraft maintenance center in South East Asia.

As Vietnam is located in an advantageous geographical position in the region, it would be reasonable for air carriers to have their aircraft maintained in Vietnam rather than in the US and Europe, because this would allow them to save costs.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese workers are becoming more and more skilled to undertake complicated work. The large aircraft repair factories in Bien Hoa City and Da Nang built tens of years ago can provide premises favorable for aircraft maintenance.

Related news

Vietnam Airlines receives second Airbus A350-XWB Vietnam Airlines uses Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on route to Germany Cell phone inlaid with 112 diamonds found in Vietnam Airlines plane

Dat Viet