What is a Special Aircraft Flight? What Criteria Must Aircraft Performing Special Aircraft Flights in Vietnam Meet?
What is a Special Aircraft Flight?
Pursuant to the regulations in Clause 1, Article 2 of Decree No. 96/2021/ND-CP, a special aircraft flight is understood as a flight using a separate aircraft carrying one of the subjects notified by a competent state agency according to the provisions of Decree No. 96/2021/ND-CP.
Simultaneously, the notification of a special aircraft flight of Vietnam is a document from a competent authority as stipulated in Clause 5, Article 2 of Decree No. 96/2021/ND-CP ordering or assigning the task of ensuring a special aircraft flight or special seating for designated agencies or units as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 7 of Decree No. 96/2021/ND-CP.
What is a Special Aircraft Flight? What criteria must the aircraft performing special flights in Vietnam meet? (Image from the Internet)
Who are the subjects served by special aircraft flights?
Pursuant to the regulations in Article 4 of Decree No. 96/2021/ND-CP regarding the subjects served on special aircraft flights including:
- The General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam- The President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.- The Prime Minister of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.- The Chairman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.- Subjects stipulated in Article 8 of Decree No. 96/2021/ND-CP.
What criteria must the aircraft performing special aircraft flights of Vietnam meet?
Pursuant to the regulations in Article 5 of Circular No. 25/2022/TT-BGTVT regarding the standards of special aircraft as follows:
Standards for aircraft performing special aircraft flights for Vietnam
1. Registered with Vietnamese nationality and operated by a Vietnamese airline meeting the provisions of Article 4 of this Circular.
2. Must be an aircraft with two or more engines.
3. At the time of performing special aircraft flights for Vietnam, the aircraft must fully meet the following requirements:
a) For critical aircraft systems including propulsion systems, power systems, fire detection and suppression systems, hydraulic and flight control systems, there must be no repeated failures (similar failures within a period of 03 days of operation or 07 consecutive flights on the same system or equipment), unresolved failures, deferred failures allowed according to the Minimum Equipment List (MEL), or failure notices except for failure notices deemed by the manufacturer as false alarms or not requiring rectification;
b) For other aircraft systems, in cases of deferred failures as per operational or maintenance documentation, necessary redundancy must be ensured for the aircraft to perform the flight even if further failures occur in these systems during the special aircraft flight;
c) Fully equipped with emergency and safety equipment in operational readiness.
4. For equipment with a lifespan on the aircraft, the remaining operating time must not be less than 1000 flights or 10% of the total lifespan (in terms of time, flight hours, or flight cycles as stipulated by the manufacturer), whichever comes later.
5. Have at least 02 resting seats or convenient seats for the rest needs of special guests if the flight duration is 04 hours or more.
6. Configured to meet protocol requirements when requested.
7. The head of the airline performing the special aircraft flight for Vietnam must give a written decision for the airline’s aircraft to perform special flights for Vietnam.
In addition, the airline performing the special aircraft flight for Vietnam must meet the criteria stipulated in Article 4 of Circular No. 25/2022/TT-BGTVT:
- Hold a valid Aircraft Operator Certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam; possess the capability and scope of operation as approved in the certificate in line with the assigned special flight task.- Have a minimum of 05 years of commercial aircraft operation; maintain a safety management program and reliability program for the operation and technical assurance of the aircraft, fully and comprehensively meeting the safety requirements as stipulated in Circular No. 01/2011/TT-BGTVT dated January 27, 2011, by the Minister of Transport, promulgating the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations on aircraft operations and maintenance.
Simultaneously, at the time of performing the special aircraft flight for Vietnam, the aircraft must meet the requirements of no unresolved failures, ensuring redundancy for potential scenarios, and ensuring full readiness of emergency and safety equipment.
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