In the context of globalization and strong international integration, the aviation industry in Vietnam has been growing rapidly in recent times. The demand for aircraft components in the aviation industry is also increasing.
Currently, the production of aircraft components is the playground of FDI enterprises with the participation of many giants. For example, Hanwha Group (Korea) has established Hanwha Aero Engines Co., Ltd. located in Hoa Lac High-Tech Park. This is the first aircraft engine manufacturing plant in Vietnam, with an investment of over 200 million USD and plans to expand to 260 million USD. The factory is invested in 2 phases and has been operational, generating revenue of 140 million USD (over 3,400 billion VND) in 2023.
In addition, there is Meggitt Group (Paris) that established Meggitt Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Artus Vietnam Co., Ltd.) specializing in the production of transformers, control equipment for the aerospace industry and repair of aviation equipment, with an initial capital of 17 million USD. Mitsubishi in 2007 through its subsidiary MHI Aerospace Vietnam invested in a repair, production and processing plant for aircraft wings and some other components in Thang Long Industrial Park with an initial capital of about 7 million USD on an area of ​​19 hectares of land.
UAC Group of the US invested in an aircraft component manufacturing plant in Vietnam through its subsidiary in Da Nang. The total investment of the project is 170 million USD and has been in operation since phase 1 from March 2020 with an area of ​​up to 170 hectares. The plant has an annual production capacity of nearly 12,500 tons of finished products, supplying components for the world’s two largest aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus…
Meanwhile, there is only one pure Vietnamese enterprise in the aircraft component manufacturing industry, which is Aerospace Engineering Services Joint Stock Company (AESC). AESC was established in 2008 by a group of aerospace engineers, headed by Mr. Tran Hai Dang, with the main business line being the manufacture and repair of aircraft parts and airport aviation equipment.
With an initial team of only 10 people, the current scale of AESC’s personnel includes over 200 staff and employees in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Quang Nam, as well as branches in Cambodia. AESC is also the first private enterprise in the aviation industry to be approved by the world’s leading aviation authorities of FAA, EASA, and Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam as Part145 Maintenance Organization and Part21 Production Organization.
In early 2016, AESC was recommended by Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam to Ministry of Transport for introduction to Airbus in developing the aviation auxiliary industry in Vietnam. Mr. Lai Xuan Thanh, Director of Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, highly appreciated AESC’s capacity and believed that the partnership between a domestic company and Airbus would contribute to the development of the aviation industry in Vietnam.
In August 2023, AESC increased its charter capital from 60 billion to 100 billion VND. The current Chairman of the company is Mr. Hoang Anh Chien and Mr. Tran Hai Dang is the CEO.
In terms of aircraft equipment manufacturing, AESC is the only organization in Vietnam that has been granted the EASA Part 21G approval by the European Aviation Safety Agency for the production of replacement equipment, repair of aircraft interior. In early August 2010, AESC received approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam to become the first organization in Vietnam to design and produce simple parts in aircraft interiors, contributing to domesticating aviation products in the country.
AESC’s interior products have been supplied to Vietnam Airlines, VietJet, Jetstar Pacific, and Lao Airlines for many years.
For ground equipment, AESC designs, manufactures, maintains, and repairs ground equipment for customers including electric cars (GPU), air start units (ASU), air conditioning units (ACU), tractors, stairs, clean water supply vehicles, sanitation vehicles, conveyor vehicles…
In aircraft maintenance services, AESC provides wheel and brake maintenance services, aircraft seats, cabin and cockpit oxygen cylinders, galley equipment, life jackets, inflatable rafts…
In terms of training, AESC is the main shareholder in a joint venture with New Zealand Aviation School, the first pilot training school in Vietnam based at Chu Lai airport.