VOV: It is unlucky that the aviation sector is confronted with technical problems when it enters into the peak month of the year i.e. the traditional lunar New Year Festival (Tet). Do you think that Vietnam Airlines should consider maintenance work?
Mr Tan: The aviation sector is forced to increase the frequency of flights to meet passengers’ increasing demand before and after the Tet holiday. Of course, increasing frequency means intensifying inspection from the maintenance work and technical specifications to the frequent use of aircraft. Within the capacity of Vietnam Airlines, I think the increase does not affect the exploitation plan of the carrier, particularly during the Tet holiday. I do not think that maintenance was the main cause of recent incidents.

VOV: What regulations has the civil administration issued to ensure flight safety?

Mr Tan: When being put into operation, any aircraft must have a certificate granted by the civil administration. To obtain such the certificate, that aircraft must fully meet technical specifications. For example, our aviation regulation No 21 makes clear specifications and maintenance procedures that aircraft operators must follow exactly. In addition, aircraft operators must follow other technical instructions made by the civil administration or aircraft manufacturers and designers.

VOV: We all know that an aircraft was recently suspended from operation and Vietnam Airlines is cooperating with manufacturers and consultants to tackle the problem. As a State management agency, what measures did the civil administration adopt to ensure safety for Vietnam Airlines flights?

Mr Tan: Recently, the atmospheric pressure in the cabin of Vietnam Airlines aircraft coded VN A311 was lowered suddenly while it was in the air. We requested Vietnam Airlines to stop running this aircraft for repair and avoid repeated problems. We also established a group of specialists to look into the cause of the incident. Vietnam Airlines strictly followed procedures for fixing the technical faults of this aircraft. According to manufacturers’ documents, there were also no mistakes in maintaining the aircraft. We will organise a meeting very soon to discuss exploitation and repair procedures for the aircraft involved in the recent incidents. Regarding the maintenance work, a group of specialists are working on Vietnam Airlines aircraft in Da Nang city. For them, it is routine work.