FROM LAUNCH TO OWN PILOT PIPELINE IN UNDER A YEAR

BAA Training Vietnam has welcomed the first group of Sun PhuQuoc Airways cadets for Airbus A320 Type Rating training, beginning a partnership supporting the airline’s long-term pilot development strategy. Sun PhuQuoc Airways launched commercial operations in November 2025 and has since grown its fleet to 17 aircraft, with further expansion planned. Its first intake of 13 cadets began training at BAA Training Vietnam’s simulator centre in Ho Chi Minh City on 10 August 2026.

The timing is the notable element. An airline nine months into commercial operations that is already establishing its own cadet pipeline is making a judgement about pilot supply rather than responding to an immediate shortage. A start-up carrier can crew initial operations by recruiting experienced pilots from the existing market; sustaining a fleet expanding beyond 17 aircraft on that basis becomes progressively harder and more expensive as the regional market tightens. Building a cadet pathway takes time to produce line pilots, which is precisely why the decision has to be taken early. Captain Nguyen Duc Manh, Crew Training Postholder at Sun PhuQuoc Airways, said that as the airline continued to expand its fleet and international network, developing its own pipeline of highly qualified pilots was a strategic priority.

COMPETENCY-BASED INSTRUCTION ACROSS TWO REGULATORY STANDARDS

The two-month programme combines competency-based instruction, advanced simulator sessions and airline-oriented operational preparation, and meets standards set by both the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Dual certification matters commercially for both parties: it allows the airline’s pilots to hold qualifications recognised beyond the domestic market, and allows the training organisation to serve airlines operating under either framework from the same facility.

Tran Trong Nhan, Managing Director at BAA Training Vietnam, said that as Vietnam’s aviation industry continued to grow, airlines needed reliable long-term solutions to develop highly skilled flight crews, and that the focus was on training meeting the highest international standards while preparing pilots for the operational demands of modern commercial aviation. Captain Nguyen said the partnership allowed cadets world-class training and operational readiness, reinforcing the airline’s commitment to safety, service excellence and sustainable growth.

BAA Training operates simulator centres in Spain, France, Lithuania and Vietnam, with a sales office in Dubai and consultancy centres in New Delhi and Bengaluru. The organisation handles approximately 100,000 flight hours annually on its own full flight simulators and flight training devices, delivering type rating training to over 1,200 pilots and serving more than 100 airlines and 300 private customers. It owns devices for the Airbus A320, Boeing 737 MAX, 737 NG, 737 Classic and 747-400, with access to a network of 60 partner simulators across 22 locations.