Vietnam Airlines aircraft are parked at Đà Nẵng International Airport. Seventeen Airbus A321neo aircraft operated by Vietnamese airlines remain grounded due to a prolonged Pratt & Whitney engine shortage. — VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

HCM CITY — Seventeen Airbus A321neo aircraft operated by Vietnamese airlines remain grounded due to a prolonged shortage of Pratt & Whitney engines, although the number of affected jets has fallen from a year earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV) said.

The CAAV said at a sector conference on Sunday that domestic airlines are currently operating a fleet of 280 aircraft, including 252 fixed-wing aircraft and 28 helicopters, up 18 aircraft from the same period last year.

The 17 grounded A321neo aircraft remain out of service because of the long-running Pratt & Whitney engine shortage, but the number has declined by six compared with the first half of 2025.

The issue stems from a global recall of Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engines used on Airbus A321neo aircraft, which began in 2024 after manufacturing defects were identified.

Around 3,500 engines worldwide require inspection and maintenance, extending repair times from the typical 90 days to between 250 and 300 days.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said after the first quarter that the situation had improved considerably, but airlines continued to face lengthy repair times, shortages of spare engines and bottlenecks in the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector.

Despite the engine constraints, Vietnamese airlines have continued to expand their fleets to meet rising travel demand and help ease airfares.

Sun PhuQuoc Airways recently took delivery of its 13th aircraft and expects to receive another 15 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft by the end of this month, potentially expanding its fleet to 28 aircraft within its first year of operations.

Vietnamese airlines carried 18.7 million passengers in the first half of the year, up 0.3 per cent from a year earlier, while maintaining 54 domestic routes linking Hà Nội and HCM City with 20 airports nationwide, according to the CAAV.

Domestic carriers also transported 9.6 million international passengers during the period, up 0.2 per cent year-on-year and accounting for nearly 37 per cent of Việt Nam’s total international passenger traffic.

Vietnamese airlines currently operate 109 international routes serving 22 countries and territories, while airlines from 41 countries and territories operate 235 scheduled routes to Việt Nam. — VNS