Abandoned Boeing aircraft at Hanoi airport may be used as training equipment

The aircraft, once owned by Cambodia’s Royal Khmer Airlines, has been grounded at the airport since May 1, 2007 due to a malfunction.

Following multiple notices to the airline’s owner and relevant Cambodian authorities, on November 11, 2014, the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation of Cambodia announced that the Air Operator Certificate of Royal Khmer Airlines had been revoked.

The aircraft’s Cambodian registration was removed on October 13, 2008. 

Cambodia officially consented to allow Vietnam to handle the aircraft in accordance with Vietnamese law.

As a result, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam deemed it appropriate to transfer the aircraft to the Vietnam Aviation Academy as a model and hands-on training aid for aviation-related education.

Importing a similar aircraft model from abroad to use as a training tool would cost an estimated VND500 billion (US$19.2 million).

Meanwhile, dismantling and transporting the Boeing B727-200 plane from Noi Bai International Airport to the Vietnam Aviation Academy’s third campus in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam would cost VND8.74 billion ($334,885).

The current Khanh Hoa Province is a combination of the former Khanh Hoa Province and neighboring Ninh Thuan Province, effective from July 1, as part of the recent major administrative restructuring in which 63 Vietnamese provinces and cities were reduced to 34.

If it is moved to the Long Thanh campus in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam, the cost would be VND9.66 billion ($370,136).

The current Dong Nai Province is formed by merging the former Dong Nai Province and neighboring Binh Phuoc Province.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, although the Boeing 727-200 is no longer airworthy, it remains a valuable asset for educational purposes.

The aircraft retains its complete structure, including the fuselage, seating, landing gear compartment, cockpit, instrument panels, and engines, all of which are suitable for training in fields such as aviation engineering, electrical and electronic systems, and ground operations.

The plane will also serve as practical training equipment for programs such as flight attendant training, aviation security, air traffic control, and basic aviation knowledge.