Vietnam Airlines Halts Operation of Four Airbus Planes
National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has temporarily stopped the operation of four Airbus aircraft with landing gear problems until the technical glitches are sorted out, probably by the 18th of this month.
The airline’s general director Nguyen Xuan Hien said a group of French experts were currently in Vietnam for the task.
The malfunctions happen at a difficult time when Vietnam Airlines’ fleet is already overstretched.
If it could not lease more aircraft, the carrier would have to cut down on its international services, Hien said, adding it would try its best to maintain domestic services.
The carrier now flies to 16 domestic and 27 international destinations. It plans to spend US$3 billion to boost its fleet from the current 39 aircraft to 100 aircraft by 2020, which is roughly the size of most major Asian airlines.
Thanh Nien Online
Vietnamese
