The CEO of Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi Noi Bai International) says he will have to ground twelve of its twenty A321-200Ns because of Pratt & Whitney engine issues, according to a VnExpress report. Le Hong Ha told the outlet he expects the aircraft, which make up 20% of the carrier's fleet, to be out-of-service for up to 300 days because supply chain disruptions have doubled the maintenance time.
ch-aviation fleets data cross checked with FlightRadar24 ADS-B data indicates nine of the airline's A321-200Ns are out-of-service
- VN-A507 (msn 09051), which last operated on February 29, 2024;
- VN-A509 (msn 09161, which last operated on January 23, 2024;
- VN-A510 (msn 09241), which last operated on January 20, 2024;
- VN-A511 (msn 09242), which last operated on January 17,2024;
- VN-A616 (msn 08501), which last operated on January 24, 2024;
- VN-A617 (msn 08545), which last operated on January 26, 2024;
- VN-A618 (msn 08589), which last operated on January 5, 2024;
- VN-A619 (msn 08678), which last operated on January 9, 2024; and
- VN- A621 (msn 08699), which last operated on January 9, 2024.
Ha says Vietnam Airlines has 24 of the engines subject to recall and inspection after the engine manufacturer discovered contamination of the powder metal used to manufacture certain engine parts. Vietnam Airlines also has thirty-nine A321-200s, or which seven are out-of-service. The widebody fleet includes fourteen A350-900s (three inactive), four B787-10s, and eleven B787-9s.
The other operator of the A321neo type in Viet Nam is VietJetAir (VJ, Hanoi Noi Bai International). The LCC has eleven A321-200Ns and fourteen A321-200NX in its fleet. The same data sources show nine of the type are out of service at the airline, including six aircraft grounded on the same day. These are;
- A321-200N, VN-A540 (msn 06673), which last operated on February 26, 2024;
- A321-200N, VN-A646 (msn 07991), which last operated on February 15, 2024;
- A321-200N, VN-A674 (msn 08302), which last operated on February 20, 2024;
- A321-200N, VN-A694 (msn 08436), which last operated on February 20, 2024;
- A321-200N, VN-A697 (msn 08389), which last operated on February 20, 2024;
- A321-200NX, VN-A521 (msn 09011), which last operated on February 23, 2024;
- A321-200NX, VN-A524 (msn 09401), which last operated on February 20, 2024;
- A321-200NX, VN-A533 (msn 09515), which last operated on February 20, 2024; and
- A321-200NX, VN-A534 (msn 10084), which last operated on February 20, 2024.
According to the VietnamNet.vn outlet, the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) has told its carriers to have backup plans to cover the number of out-of-service aircraft. In addition to its A321N fleet, VietJet has twenty-two A320-200s (one inactive), including four wet-leased A320-200s; thirty six A321-200s (one inactive); and seven A330-300s.
Competitors Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi Noi Bai International) and Vietravel Airlines (VU, Hue Phu Bai International) do not operate any A321neo. However, ch-aviation data shows four of Bamboo's 11 aircraft are out-of-service, including two A320-200s, one A320-200N, and one A321-200. Bamboo has wet-leased two A320-200s to help cover the capacity shortfall. Vietravel Airlines has just three A321-200s, and all are active.
The Vietnamese-language outlet says CAAV is "requiring domestic airlines to proactively plan their operations and have backup plans to supplement the shortage of aircraft."
