Boeing to increase its footprint in Vietnam's aviation market

Michael Arthur, senior vice president of Boeing and president of Boeing International

Vietnam has a potential aviation market, with Vietnam Airlines and Bamboo Airways using the Boeing 787 Dreamliners. How can Boeing improve its engagement with the local aviation ecosystem?

We think Vietnam is a very important market, and I think the next few years will show Vietnam becoming a major aviation hub and a partner for our industry. So Boeing is determined to be a bigger part of the story in Vietnam, which is why I have come to Vietnam here today and we have opened an office in Vietnam. It's led by Michael Nguyen, country manager of Boeing Vietnam, and we're very proud to have a presence in the country.

Last week in Washington D.C., we met the prime minister and we talked about aviation. Yesterday, I met the chairman of the National Assembly and we talked about how we can expand our operation here.

So, this is the beginning of a journey and aviation is going to be crucial for the further growth of the Vietnamese economy.

Can you shed some light on Boeing’s plans in Vietnam?

We have suppliers from businesses in Vietnam that work with us directly and indirectly through other partners in Japan and South Korea, among others. So, on every new Boeing aircraft, there is a piece of Vietnam. We would like that piece to be bigger, and that's the purpose of expanding our operation in the country.

Now, whether we do that in training or engineering or digital aviation – all those fields are potentially important. And this is the beginning, so we will explore what is in the best interest of Vietnam and Boeing.

In 2020, a representative from Boeing committed to Vietnam that it will support the country's green aviation industry. So how can Boeing realise that commitment in the time to come?

Well, this is a very exciting new path for the industry as a whole, and the world wants to fly more to connect people. About 80 per cent of the world has never been in an aircraft, and they deserve to fly. But because of the climate challenges, the industry has to make flying green.

So, one of the important paths forward is that modern aircraft are cleaner than older ones. The fuel we use also has to be more sustainable. So we are looking across the world, but I think Vietnam is one of the interesting countries in developing sustainable aviation fuel from biofuels or from other technologies.

What is Boeing’s plan for setting up the warranty and maintenance facilities here in Vietnam to support local airlines operating modern Boeing fleets efficiently and safely?

Airlines lead in infrastructure development and we work with them to support them as that happens. So, as our business in this country grows, the infrastructure that supports that will also grow, and that's the discussion we have every day with our partner airlines here and we will help them achieve their goals.

One of the great things about Vietnam is you have such a talented workforce and the educational system is strong, and so there's plenty of what we call human capital that can help create this infrastructure. And we want to be part of that journey helping to grow the capabilities of Vietnam as a whole for our partner airlines.

Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue received Michael Arthur, senior vice president of Boeing and president of Boeing International

What position has Vietnam on Boeing's agenda, and what other activities has your company carried out here?

Vietnam remains a crucial partner of our company. We collaborate with all airlines in Vietnam and work with the Vietnamese government as well as local authorities to support local communities and schools. To us, it's important not only to support the aviation industry but also to work with social organisations to help improve the lives of people, especially through education.

So far, we have supported non-profit organisations in Vietnam to build 26 primary schools across the country. It's our pleasure to be able to do this. In the future, we will continue to look for places where we can help build schools and donate books to build libraries for primary schools in Vietnam.

Also, we will collaborate with universities in Vietnam under a programme called The Future of Aviation in Education. Accordingly, we will bring Boeing experts to Vietnam, working with universities to research and further grow Vietnam's talent pool. We believe that in the future, Vietnamese engineering students can emerge confidently and compete with countries around the world.