Hanoi (VNA)🔯 - The global aviation safety inspection team has rated Vietnam's aviation safety index at 77.1%, well above the global average of 68%, and the Asia-Pacific region’s average of 65.31%.

Between May 15 and 27, a team from the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) assessed Vietnamese safety capabilities. Preliminary results show an Effective Implementation (EI) index of 77.1%, 11.54% higher than that in the previous inspection conducted in 2016. Notably, the airport and airfield exploitation reached 83.8%, 28.9% higher than the 2016 result. The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) said that the ICAO's Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme contributes to improving the safety reputation of Vietnam's aviation industry. The ACV has established a working group to coordinate closely with the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to review and thoroughly overcome the shortcomings pointed out in 2016. The group will also help implement new ICAO standard requirements in ensuring safety in the field of airport and airfield management and operation. Specifically, it has developed an aircraft model for rescue and firefighting drills and invited foreign experts to help train staff. The group has also prepared rescue and firefighting plans for aircraft in complex terrain, and invested in rescue equipment to remove immobilised aircraft. During the actual assessment at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, the ICAO inspection team praised the implementation of the organisation's standards and recommended practices in the field of ensuring aviation safety, and airport and airfield operations. In the coming time, the ACV will continue to coordinate closely with the CAAV and other units in the aviation industry to implement a plan to address the incomplete contents pointed out in the latest assessment to fully meet the ICAO's standards and practice recommendations. The goal is to further improve the safety assurance of Vietnam's aviation industry. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has requested airlines focus on ensuring safety, as the shortage of available operational planes is forcing carriers to optimise aircraft flying times to meet peak travel demand. Vietnam is facing a serious shortage of planes due to the recall by Pratt & Whitney for their PW1100 engine on Airbus A 321 Neo aircraft.

Airlines are being forced to optimise aircraft maintenance plans as well as prepare spare parts, equipment and tools for aircraft repair so that aircraft can operate most efficiently, but also safely. At the beginning of May, Vietnam had a total of 199 planes, 32 fewer than in 2023. Of them, 165-170 were air-ready, 40-45 fewer than the average in 2023. The ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme evaluates airport safety based on flight and aircraft operations, accidents and incident investigation, air traffic management, and ground support equipment. Particularly in the field of airport and airfield management and operation, ICAO inspectors evaluate the implementation results based on 143 questions. Previously, according to 2016’s assessment results, the average score of the EI index of Vietnam's aviation industry was 65.56%, in which the field of airport and airport management and exploitation reached only 54.95%, making it in the group of countries with scores lower than 60% in the Asia-Pacific region./.