Aviation New Zealand heads to Vietnam

Since 2015, New Zealand has been a popular choice for trainee pilots from Vietnam thanks to an Aviation Cooperation Agreement in place between the New Zealand Ministry of Transport and the Vietnamese Ministry of Transportation. Pre-Covid, Vietnam was the third largest source of international pilot cadets to New Zealand and between 2015 and 2022, 126 Vietnamese cadets gained their Commercial Pilots Licences in New Zealand.  

New Zealand is now home to four pilot training schools that are audited and approved by the CAAV and Vietnamese airlines. Since the New Zealand border reopened over a year ago, the training schools are once again warmly welcoming back international students from across the globe.  

Simon Wallace, Aviation New Zealand Chief Executive, said that the visit by this delegation of New Zealand’s pilot training schools to Vietnam was incredibly important in putting New Zealand back on the radar of Vietnamese students looking to start their professional career as pilots.  

Aviation New Zealand Chief Executive, Simon Wallace

“The delegation is showing Vietnam’s pilots of the future, along with Vietnam’s airline industry, why New Zealand continues to be a top training ground for the world’s pilots. With airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, VietJet, Bamboo Airlines and Pacific Airlines all wanting Vietnamese pilots to fly for them, we want to demonstrate why they should train in our schools to help meet this high demand.  

“We will also be leveraging this visit to organise an event with representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) following the update of the Aviation Cooperation Agreement that was signed by the former New Zealand Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, during her official visit to Vietnam last November,” said Mr Wallace. 

ENZ’s Regional Director, Asia (excluding China), Ben Burrowes added that ENZ was delighted to be supporting Aviation NZ on this visit and the series of events planned from 20 to 24 November would provide a real opportunity to engage, in a coordinated way, with the Government, the aviation regulator and the airlines in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. It also reflects an integrated approach by the New Zealand Government, peak industry body and pilot trainers.   

“Engaging with the alumni from New Zealand reflects the critically important role they play in influencing new students to come to New Zealand for training. These alumni now fly for Vietnam’s biggest airlines.  

“Not only does New Zealand offer world-class pilot training that meets all the necessary Vietnamese regulatory approvals, but students can enjoy an excellent lifestyle and student experience in any of the four locations around New Zealand in which our training schools are based. I am positive that the alumni will be able to attest to that,” added Mr Burrowes.    

-ENDS-