Vietnam Airlines maintains quality and safety

Right in early months of the year, Vietnam Airlines had to overcome great difficulties. Through the whole year, the corporation had to pay VND 1 trillion more for fuel due to the sharp increase in petrol prices. In addition, plane rents also increased. Competition with other international airlines also got more and more severe.

Vietnam Airlines decided to invest in areas of strategic importance including modernising its fleet and infrastructure facilities for trade purposes and developing human resources.

Last year, the corporation invested VND 1.5 trillion including VND 1.3 trillion o­n a plane investment project. Projects to buy four Boeing 787 and 10 Airbus 321 continued to be implemented according to plans approved by the government. Other projects o­n training pilots, equipping  the trade and ground services blocks, and informational technology, amongst others, were also carried out as scheduled.

In parallel with modernising its fleet, Vietnam Airlines also paid attention to expanding markets and increasing its service quality.

By the end of 2005, Vietnam Airlines had opened 36 international air routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to 26 foreign destinations, including 23 direct flight routes. The corporation has also opened 23 domestic air routes to 17 destinations o­n the basis of three aviation entrepots of Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, meeting the increasing demand for air travelling of local and foreign customers.

Vietnam Airlines has taken various measures to maintain and improve the quality of its products and services. Many members of the corporation have been granted with ISO 9001-2000 certificates.

In 2005, to ensure safety requirements, Vietnam Airlines invited the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Aviation Quality Service to inspect and make a comprehensive evaluation of Vietnam Airlines’ safety and quality according to IATA Operation Safety Audit (IOSA), an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. This is an opportunity for Vietnam Airlines to complete its requirements o­n quality and safety and expand its co-operation with other aviation associations in the world. As planned, Vietnam Airlines is likely to reach IOSA standards by early 2006.

After two years of technological transfer, Vietnam Airlines itself has been able to manage its operations and technical maintenance services, which meets international requirements, for its fleet.

Vietnam Airlines pays special attention to developing its human resources. The corporation currently has 15,000 employees, 32% of whom are university graduates or higher degree holders. Vietnam Airlines has 240 pilots, 270 plane engineers, 435 plane technicians and 1,300 stewards and stewardesses.

Six members of the corporation have been equitised and five others will be equitised by early this year.

As the Lunar New Year is coming near, Vietnam Airlines staff are pooling efforts to increase its flights by 50% to meeting the increasing demand of customers.

The corporation has set it a key task in the coming year to continue modernising its fleet, transport vehicles and other technical infrastructure facilities and a target of 13-15% growth annually.