Boeing plane abandoned for 18 years at Noi Bai proposed to be used as teaching aid

The Ministry of Construction has just sent an official dispatch to Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to change the plan to handle the abandoned Boeing B727-200 aircraft at Noi Bai airport from "auctioning the assets" to "handing over the aircraft to the Vietnam Aviation Academy to use as a model, teaching aid for practice and internship in aviation training facilities".

The Boeing B727-220 aircraft, originally belonging to Royal Khmer Airlines (RKA), is a Cambodian national with registration number XU-RKJ, and has been parked at Noi Bai International Airport since May 1, 2007.

On August 5, 2014, Noi Bai International Airport issued a dispatch reporting that this aircraft had not been operated since August 2007, affecting the operations of Noi Bai International Airport and recommended that the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam carry out handling procedures.

On December 15, 2014, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam announced that the aircraft was abandoned and would be handled according to Vietnamese law.

By June 2015, the technical condition assessment team of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam determined that the aircraft, manufactured in 1975, was in serious technical deterioration, could not be restored, and did not meet the airworthiness standards according to Vietnamese and international regulations.

Up to now, agencies and units have had to arrange a parking space in the airport to look after and preserve the plane, causing difficulties and obstacles for other planes during the operation of Noi Bai airport.

Boeing plane abandoned for 18 years at Noi Bai. (Photo: Government newspaper).

After that, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam organized a public bidding and selected the winning bidder to conduct the valuation, which was VNG Vietnam Valuation Company Limited. Accordingly, the Boeing B727-200 aircraft was determined to be worth 1,762 billion VND.

However, the auction of the aircraft encountered many difficulties and obstacles because this was a unique asset with no precedent for transactions in Vietnam and the world; the appraisal price was determined to be too low, not enough to pay for the auction costs and other related costs.

Since then, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has continued to research and implement many measures to find solutions to handle abandoned Boeing aircraft such as: transferring them to security and defense units; transferring them to the Vietnam Airports Corporation; and transferring them to the Vietnam Aviation Academy for use as models and practice tools in aviation training facilities.

After a comprehensive review and assessment, the Civil Aviation Authority decided to choose the option of handing over the aircraft to the Vietnam Aviation Academy as a teaching aid because it is highly feasible.

Because this plan is in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Management and Use of Public Assets on the form of handling assets with established public ownership; in accordance with the practical functions, tasks and management and use requirements of the Vietnam Aviation Academy in serving the training of aviation engineering majors.

At the same time, Vietnam Aviation Academy also has an application and plan to receive, manage and use abandoned aircraft and has guaranteed financial resources and a commitment to receive, manage and use (not using the State budget).

In terms of economic efficiency, if the Vietnam Aviation Academy had to buy aircraft from abroad to serve as a teaching model to ensure international training standards, the estimated cost would be around 500 billion VND. Meanwhile, the estimated cost of dismantling, transporting, installing, and completing the abandoned Boeing aircraft to the training facility would be only 8.7 - 9.7 billion VND.

Chau Anh

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/may-bay-boeing-bi-boeing-bi-boeing-18-nam-o-noi-bai-duoc-de-xuat-giao-lam-giao-cu-ar958473.html