Vietnam allows import of Chinese aircraft under new rule

Vietnam has decided to permit Vietnamese airlines to import planes certified by China, Russia, and other nations beyond the U.S. and EU, according to a newly issued decree by the government.

Under Decree No. 89/2025/ND-CP enacted on Sunday, aircraft are allowed to be imported into Vietnam if they are certified by one of the following authorities: the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil, Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), the Federal Agency for Air Transport of the Russian Federation (Rosaviatsiya), the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA), the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction may also issue or recognize type certificates.

The new regulation broadens the range of eligible aircraft manufacturers and paves the way for Vietnamese airlines to acquire aircraft certified by a wider array of international authorities, including those from China.

Previously, Vietnam only accepted aircraft with type certificates issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

According to the construction ministry, the new rule is intended to give Vietnamese airlines greater flexibility and autonomy in sourcing and operating aircraft.

During a meeting with He Dongfeng on Monday, chairman of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh called for stronger cooperation in developing Vietnam’s aviation sector.

Chinh praised the collaboration between Comac and Vietjet Air while voicing support for closer partnerships between Comac and other Vietnamese airlines and stakeholders.

He also encouraged Comac to work with Vietnamese partners to invest in aircraft warranty, maintenance, and repair facilities in Vietnam, as well as to strengthen cooperation in the purchase, leasing, and lease-purchase of aircraft.

In a statement last month, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said it was looking for legal framework updates from authorities this year to approve the operation of China’s Comac aircraft.

The CAAV said to fly Comac aircraft in Vietnam, the authorities must update Decree 92/2016 on conditional business sectors or activities in the civil aviation industry and Circular 01/2011 on civil aviation safety regulations.

The CAAV proposed changes to the lawmaking program 2025 to facilitate the move, according to the statement.

In December 2024, Vietjet disclosed that it had been working with the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction) and the CAAV to “wet lease” two Comac ARJ21 aircraft to operate some flights in Vietnam.