Facing the common difficulties of the world, regional and domestic economic situation, the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation determines to persistently implement its Development Strategy until 2030; promote core values, firmly hold the situation, take advantage of opportunities, turn difficulties and challenges into opportunities, proactively integrate and develop, and well perform economic and defence tasks.

Vietnam Helicopter Corporation (VNH), also known as Corps 18, is a defence and security enterprise under the Ministry of National Defence, conducts specific business tasks as providing helicopter services for socio-economic development and military and defence tasks. In recent years, its operations have been badly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, economic recession, and military conflicts around the world. This is evidenced by the significant decrease in the demand for helicopter services in oil and gas exploration and exploitation, the fierce competition in the tourism and service flight market, etc. Eventhough, with the intelligence and bravery of "Uncle Ho's soldiers", VNH has carried out many groundbreaking policies and measures to promote the spirit of self-reliance, proactiveness, creativity, overcoming difficulties, and strive to successfully complete military, defence, production and business tasks, gain new developments, and maintain its prestige and brand. For many consecutive years, the Corporation has been ranked as Class A enterprise, and it is one of the most effective enterprises of the Military with a profit/revenue ratio of 10% - 15%. In 2023, it successfully completed all military and defence tasks; maintained its growth momentum with average labour productivity of 897 million VND/person, which was highly praised and appreciated by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Defence.

General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defence, visits the Corporation

In the coming time, besides the advantages, VNH will face many difficulties, challenges and many new problems to be resolved. To grasp the opportunities, overcome challenges, and integrate and develop steadily, its Party Committee and Board of Directors of the Corporation are determined to lead and direct the drastic implementation of measures to build and promote its core values of: "Safety - Professionalism - Sustainability" to a new height.

First of all, it focuses on making and perfecting strategies and plans for production and business, investment and development. Thoroughly grasping and implementing resolutions and directives of the Party, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence on economic and defence tasks, focusing on the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the 8th Resolution of the Party Central Committee (13th tenure) on the Strategy for Fatherland protection in the new situation, the Party Committee and Board of Directors of the Corporation continue to coordinate closely with the authorities to research and assess the advantages, difficulties and challenges in an accurate manner, grasp the customer needs and market conditions. On that basis, it reviews, adjusts, supplements and completes strategies and plans for production and business, investment and development for the 2021 - 2025 period and the following years with the goal of developing it as the leading helicopter service provider in Vietnam, with region-leading technology, strong competitiveness, effective business, good reputation and brand in the domestic and international markets. At the same time, it focuses on carrying out military and defence tasks and special aircraft missions, medical emergency, search and rescue flights.

To realise those goals, the Corporation directs its member units to closely follow the goals of production and business strategy, concretising them into resolutions, directives, and implementation plans, focusing on solutions for market development and brand management. Accordingly, the VNH continues to maintain the provision of oil and gas flight services for businesses exploiting oil and gas offshore in the South; serve the need for oil exploration; coordinate with its partners to provide aircraft to serve oil and gas companies in the ASEAN region with the best price policy. Along with that, VNH will proactively approach international organisations, corporations, and big companies to seek opportunities to cooperate in providing commercial and public flight services. For the export flight market, it continues to look for reputable partners and build alliances with other helicopter companies in each market to leverage each other's strengths; promotes the implementation of the roadmap to gradually unify the brand and promote the power of the system as well as support new products and services of the Corporation. In particular, it attaches importance to unifying the brand identity for its entire system in communication and promotion, choosing impressive Logos and Slogans at the appropriate time to create a unique mark, especially in international relations.

In addition, VNH will increase investment, acquire new technology, master modern technical equipment to bring about a breakthrough in service quality. In the immediate future, it focuses on investing and restructuring its aircraft fleet, striving to supplement new generation aircraft, replace the old ones and reduce types of aircraft, just exploit the ones that suit customer needs to improve business efficiency, and increase competitiveness. Besides, it fosters the implementation of projects to renovate and upgrade the existing bases and airports; actively seeks investment resources to build new bases in Nam Can and Con Dao to serve production, business, military and defence tasks; proposes land allocations at the airports of Tan Son Nhat, Van Don, Phan Thiet, Phu Quoc to build infrastructure to serve business expansion and better perform economic and defence tasks. Moreover, it continues to build and implement the ISO 9,000 quality management system; build and operate the aviation safety management system (SMS); actively apply 4.0 technology to management and administration.

Transporting passengers to oil rigs

Building and developing high-skill human resources is a key, decisive factor and a driving force to ensure the Corporation's rapid, sustainable development and international competitiveness in the context of integration. At present, its contingent of managers, pilots, aviation technicians, etc. is basically qualified for job requirements. However, there remain some loopholes in structure, continuity and capability. Therefore, to maintain stability and development, VNH drastically implements the Strategy for high-skill human resources development, especially the creation, fostering and standardisation of qualification for the pilots and technical staff. At the same time, it will have solutions to employ high-quality human resources. In the immediate future, the Corporation focuses on building and completing the system of standards for each position as a basis for applying modern human resource management measures; conducts the review and assessment of the current officers and pilots as a basis for making plans for employing, training and using appropriately for each subject, meeting the requirements of both immediate and long-term tasks. As for pilots, the Corporation requires that they undergo basic and in-depth training, and be able to fly many types of modern helicopters. To do that, along with selecting and sending them to attend training courses in domestic and foreign academies and schools, the Corporation actively applies technological advances to improve the effectiveness of non-profit training methods; strengthen "wet lease" and "dry lease" of aircraft to help pilots learn and accumulate experience operating in international environments, meeting the high requirements of economic and defence tasks.

To continue building and developing its core values, steadily integrating and developing, VNH attaches importance to ensuring adequate and timely aviation technical maintenance and improving the quality of flight safety assurance. In particular, it focuses on strengthening the safety quality management system; adjust and supplement the document system as required by the Law on Vietnam Civil Aviation; strictly abide by the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the Vietnam Aviation Administration on flight management and operation; Regulations of the Ministry of Transport on Aviation Security Programme. Furthermore, it seriously maintains regime and order during flight stages; improves the quality of assurance work, especially aviation technical assurance work; enhances training and improves the qualifications for pilots conducting specific missions, especially training in handling emergency situations in the air for pilots and crew members; conduct review to learn from experience, promptly detect and resolutely overcome limitations and shortcomings in ensuring flight safety  and strive to maintain flight safety.

Together with the above solutions, VNH’s Party Committee and Board of Directors focus on leading and directing the building of a clean, all-strong and typical Party Committee, on par with mission requirements; building the contingent of officials, especially the presiding ones who are capable and qualified for the jobs, active, creative, dare to think, dare to do, and dare to hold accountability. At the same time, it will conduct thorough briefing to make its staff understand that the presence of each helicopter of the Corporation in each area, at each time, is the claimant of the country's sovereignty. This will help them promote the combined strength, overcome all difficulties and challenges to complete their assigned tasks, and be determined to maintain and promote the traditions of the Hero of Labour Unit in the period of innovation, for its firm integration and development.

Major General KEU DANG HUNG, Commander of Corps 18, Chairman and General Director of the Corporation