AmericanTour
Congressmen Businessman owns first personal aircraft in Vietnam
Duc’s 12-seat used aircraft is a Beechcraft Air 350, manufactured by the US’ Raytheon Aircraft, using Pratt & Whitney PT 6-60 A engine.
According to Duc’s assistant, the aircraft left the US’ Mena Airport on May 8 and will land at the HCM City-based Tan Son Nhat Airport on May 14.
According to Tien Phong newspaper, Duc will hire the Vietnam Air Service Company (Vasco) to run and maintain the plane.
An official of Vasco said the Beechcraft King Air 350 is similar to Vasco’s B200 aircraft. A foreign pilot will fly Duc’s plane. When Duc’s aircraft is free, Vasco will hire the plane to conduct emergency flights. Meanwhile, Duc confirmed that he bought this aircraft to serve his travelling needs, not to lease it.
Vice Head of the Vietnam Civil Aviation Administration Lai Xuan Thanh said under the Aviation Law, an individual can own a plane if he satisfies necessary conditions and asks for permission for each flight. Thanh said if Duc has all necessary documents, he will get a flight licence within ten days after he submits documents to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Administration. Thanh said Duc will not have to pay import tax or VAT on the aircraft.
According to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Administration, Duc will also have to get the permission of the Ministry of Defence.
Duc said he had been planning to buy an aircraft for a long time to serve his need to travel frequently from his group’s headquarters in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai to HCM City, Da Nang, Da Lat, Hanoi, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Singapore.
Besides Duc, some other businessmen plan to buy aircraft. According to some sources, the foreign Chairman of VinaCapital Investment Fund is consulting regulations on owning a personal aircraft in Vietnam.
Duc has bought an aircraft but to make the plane take off he must fulfill dozens of administrative formalities. He will also have to face difficulties related to aircraft parking and repair service since there is no precedent in Vietnam – it has only been three years since the first personal aircraft was registered in Vietnam’s neighbour, China.
(Source: TP, LD, TBKTVN, TT)
