Road to success - BAA Training Vietnam turns one

Success usually comes to those who put big efforts, take initiatives and make bold decisions. These ingredients are also the secret of success behind BAA Training Vietnam, the first and only independent aviation training provider in the country which celebrates its extraordinary first anniversary. 19 September, 2019, marked the official beginning of BAA Training Vietnam operations as the training centre received the certificate of Approved Training Organisation (ATO) issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).

It has been a year full of joy, significant achievements and unprecedented circumstances. Through this relatively short period of time BAA Training Vietnam has managed to establish a reputation of a reliable aviation training provider in the region. The company has been trusted with preparation of pilots for such market leaders as Bamboo Airways or VietJet.

"We are still a very young company. However, the expertise we have brought from Europe helps to set ambitious plans and take relatively brave actions here in Vietnam. However, no gain comes without challenges. First of all, we had to adapt to the country, adjust our services and learn to operate here daily. We had quickly get acquainted with the local realities and peculiarities of this culture, business environment. Looking back at the very first steps, I can gladly announce that we did a huge leap and very naturally integrated into Vietnam," comments Vytautas Jankauskas, Managing Director of BAA Training Vietnam.

Through the year, the aviation training centre has been busy with not only making new corporate connections, but also with actively delivering its mainline program: Airbus A320 Type Rating training.

In 2019, BAA Training Vietnam issued 76 Airbus A320 type rating licences for pilots from Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other countries. 79% of the graduates are already successfully working at airlines.

To boost training capacity and ensure the availability of necessary training equipment, in the first year of operations the company acquired and assembled two Airbus A320 full flight simulators (FFS), A320 Integrated Procedures Trainer (IPT) and Flame V9000 Commander Fire Fighting Trainer. To make it easier for foreigners to access training at BAA Training Vietnam, the company had approved A320 FFS in Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Apart from A320 Type Rating courses, in 2019 BAA Training Vietnam introduced Airbus Cross Crew Qualification (CCQ) A330 to A320 course as well as began delivering Type Rating Instructor (TRI) training.

Before the global coronavirus hit, the training centre had its flight simulation training devices loaded up to 90%. This way, through 2019 BAA Training Vietnam utilised nearly 6,300 hours in FFSs.

"Good results, therefore, do not mean that we will rest on our laurels. Monitoring the situation and getting ready for the future, we already consider introducing new FFSs and are in talks with potential customers such as Pacific Airlines or Vietravel. No doubts, the coronavirus crisis has largely corrected our plans and made us look even further keeping in mind not only the plan B, but also C and D," explains Jankauskas. "Nevertheless, each obstacle is our experience and our lessons for the future".

During the coronavirus outbreak the training centre had its operations ceased for a little while. Luckily, the convenient location and isolation of the training compound made it possible to quickly return to training and step by step begin restoring training capabilities.