The number of aircraft registered as Vietnamese reached 174 as of the end of July 2018, up by 14 compared with the figure in the same period last year, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).

The biggest fleet belongs to Vietnam Airlines with 91 planes, including eleven Boeing 787-9; twelve Airbus A350; five A330 and 57 A321 aircraft.

It is followed by Vietjet Air with 54 planes, including 31 A321 and 23 A320 aircraft.

Jetstar Pacific ranks third with 17 A320 aircraft.

Other airlines such as the Vietnam Air Services Company (Vasco), Vietstar Airlines Multirole Corporation and others also have Vietnamese-registered planes.

CAAV said that as of the end of July 2018, there were 28 helicopters registered as Vietnamese nationality, unchanged compared to last year.

According to the Government Decree No. 68 on the registration of nationality of and rights to aircraft, aircraft owned by Vietnamese organisations or individuals and those lease-purchased or leased without crews for 24 months or longer must be registered as Vietnamese to operate in Viet Nam.

Under the decree, to be eligible for the registration of Vietnamese nationality, the aircraft must not be currently registered in a foreign country.

It must also have all the valid paperwork to prove aircraft ownership or the right to possession of the aircraft under lease or lease-purchase terms. In addition, it must meet the requirements on age of the used aircraft (if any) and must satisfy the legally prescribed conditions and requirements related to ensuring national defence and security, aviation safety and security and environmental protection. — VNS