On November 29, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) held an emergency meeting to direct Vietnamese airlines to implement the mandatory replacement of emergency equipment as required by Airbus and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
According to aircraft manufacturer Airbus, airlines worldwide operating Airbus A319, A320, and A321 aircraft must replace the equipment or update the flight control software for altitude and navigation by 6:59 a.m. (Vietnam time) on November 30.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) reported that 81 out of 169 A320 and A321 aircrafts in the country are affected. Airlines have reviewed their flight schedules and adjusted operations as needed to minimize disruptions to passengers.
On the same day, national carrier Vietnam Airlines announced that it had swiftly inspected and implemented the update plan at its technical facilities at Noi Bai, Da Nang, and Tan Son Nhat airports. Equipped with the necessary tools, guidance, and software provided by Airbus, the airline began the updates overnight into the early hours of November 29. Each aircraft is expected to take approximately one hour for the update, with all work scheduled to be completed ahead of the deadline.
By the morning of November 29, Vietjet had completed updates on 45 of the 69 affected aircraft and is accelerating efforts to ensure the entire fleet meets all technical requirements within the prescribed deadline.
In addition, Bamboo Airways stated that none of its operating A320/A321 aircraft fall under the manufacturer’s emergency equipment replacement directive.
All Vietnamese airlines have confirmed that flight operations on November 29 and from November 30 onward will proceed normally, without affecting passengers’ travel plans.
