Vietnam Helicopter Corporation Standing Firm in the Integration Trend

Major General Ha Tien Dung, Chairman & CEO of VNH from the early days, shared that VNH had to deal with harsh international competition in order to gradually seize the domestic market. While this was a major challenge requiring great effort to be overcome, the challenge helped VNH form the foundation for its current position of having mastered the domestic market and be expanding to international markets. The helicopter service sector has a particular character with high potential risks. Meanwhile in Vietnam, pioneering this completely new field, VNH encountered significant difficulties in organization and management experience, aviation infrastructure, procuring aircraft and supplies, and especially in human resources (management officers, pilots and technicians) to satisfy the increasingly stringent demands of oil firms and clients.

 

Like most enterprises, VNH also faced with the problem of financial resources for operation, development and investment. Due to the modern aircraft fleet and aviation equipment and high costs of human resources training, VNH needed a huge amount of funding at high potential risk. Furthermore, flight safety is considered vital in aviation business. VNH's aviation activities are diversified in many areas and regions, domestically and abroad, with high frequency and intensity of flight. VNH offers primary services in the exploration and production of oil and gas - a complex and dangerous type of offshore flight, with difficult take-off and landing on drilling platforms or oil ships; and MIA flights in mountain terrain. These conditions make it quite difficult to ensure flight safety.

 

Currently, VNH has been completely re-structured to a parent company – subsidiaries model, with hundreds of experienced pilots and skilled technicians, a modern helicopter fleet meeting international standards. VNH has become a leading qualified helicopter service provider in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

 

Pioneering the technology, investing in aircraft integrated with state-of-the-art technologies, and modernizing infrastructure are the keys behind VNH's success today. Following the modernized craft policy, VNH now owns a modern helicopter fleet with EC 225, AW 189, EC 155B1, EC 130T2, etc and a synchronized flight assuring system (airport system, maintenance workshop, navigation equipment, terminals, parking area) which help VNH effectively perform both the task of production and business, the task of defence – security, and rescue in all situations.

 

Shared Major General Ha Tien Dung: the important goal set for VNH is to master all the equipment and facilities to ensure long-term, safe and effective use, to meet customers’ demands. VNH has always focused on building and developing high quality human resources, management board, pilots and technicians so as to meet the requirements of the task of production and business and the task of military and defence. VNH has built a training centre for pilots, aviation technicians, and ground staff. The enterprise has invested significantly in training and coaching its staff and workers. Currently, the Corporation has qualified human resources which meet both immediate and long term missions and are capable of adapting modern technology in the international business environment. Particularly, most of the pilots have achieved international qualifications and vocational certificates with hundreds of flight hours per person per year, among which many have accumulated over 10,000 flight hours. This showed its determination, independence and capability in tough conditions and international integration. Particularly, the motto of assuring flight safety and the outcome of more than 300,000 safe flight hours have asserted VNH's brand.

 

Regarding the strategy of VNH in the future, Major General Ha Tien Dung said, “In the upcoming time, VNH will continue to promote international relations, proactively contacting potential customers to do business, and gaining experience to provide stability and long-term development. In early 2015, we launched the sightseeing helitour service in Da Nang, which will later be followed by helicopter sightseeing tours in Ha Long, Phu Quoc and Nha Trang. Initially, we have 2 main offers: Sightseeing tour from 12 to 15 minutes and on-demand charter flight for 5-6 passengers by aircraft EC130T2 manufactured by Airbus Helicopters. EC130T2 is new French luxury helicopter manufactured in 2015, equipped with many modern features and amenities such as an intercom system allowing interaction between pilot and tourists, specially designed large windows ideal for sightseeing with wide viewing angle, allowing VNH to offer customers the most pleasant experience on their flight.”