Participants cut a ribbon to launch the flight school at Rach Gia airport and receive ATO1 certificate. — Photo courtersy of Vietnam Airlines

HÀ NỘI – The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Viet Flight Training have inaugurated a flight school at Rạch Giá airport, the first civil pilot training facility in Kiên Giang Province and the southern region.

The two have received a Level-1 Approved Training Organisation (ATO1) certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) to provide Private Pilot License (PPL) training courses.

Viet Flight Training has welcomed the first 12 students attending the first PPL course.

ATO1, which allows the theory and basic flight practice training in Việt Nam, will help shorten the training time abroad and reduce costs.

The Viet Flight Training was established by Vietnam Airlines in 2008 to meet 50-60 per cent demand for pilots under international standards for Vietnam Airlines and the whole aviation sector, reducing the financial burden on airlines and the national budget for civil pilot training activities.

Previously, the Viet Flight Training received Level-3 ATO and Level-2 ATO certificates. In the 2021-22 period, the facility coordinated with foreign partners to train more than 1,000 pilots from 10 countries, becoming the largest civil pilot supplier for the domestic aviation sector.  VNS