Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi Noi Bai International) has returned all but one of its grounded A321-200Ns to service as its issues with Pratt & Whitney Canada engines ease. Three months ago, the carrier had six A321-200Ns parked because of support problems. At the start of June, they had three grounded. Now, only one of the type remains out of the air.
According to ch-aviation fleets data, VN-A505 (msn 8924) is the last A321-200N parked at Hanoi. Vietnam Airlines director of corporate planning and development, Nguyen Quang Trung, recently told the ATW outlet that the airline hoped to have all the aircraft back in the air by the end of June, adding that the airline was beginning to receive support for the PW1000G engines attached to the A321-200Ns. The groundings saw the carrier sometimes deploy widebody aircraft onto domestic routes to maintain schedules. Vietnam Airlines operates nineteen A321-200Ns, complementing its forty-eight-strong fleet of A321-200s as the mainstay of its domestic fleet.
Separately, Nguyen advised that Vietnam Airlines continues to pursue a divestment strategy regarding its low-cost subsidiary, Pacific Airlines (BL, Ho Chi Minh City). Vietnam Airlines took control of the carrier in 2020 after the Qantas Group terminated its interest in the airline. Vietnam Airlines now owns 98% of Pacific Airlines. Nguyen said Vietnam Airlines hoped to have sold down its stake by 2024, though he indicated the airline would maintain an interest in Pacific Airlines going forward. He also said the subsidiary would not receive any A321-200Ns from the parent airline and stick with its fleet of eleven A320-200s.
