This article summarizes reporting by Vietnam News.

Vietnam Aviation Sector Grapples with 28 Grounded Aircraft Amid Global Engine Crisis

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has confirmed that 28 commercial aircraft remain grounded across the country as of mid-December 2025. According to reporting by Vietnam News, this significant reduction in fleet capacity is primarily driven by a global supply chain crisis affecting aircraft engines, specifically involving manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.

While the number of grounded jets represents approximately 13.1% of the national fleet, aviation officials noted a slight improvement compared to the previous year. Tạ Minh Trọng, the head of the Flight Safety Standards Department at the CAAV, stated that the current figure reflects a decrease of five grounded aircraft compared to the same period in 2024.

Breakdown of the Grounded Fleet

The grounding primarily impacts the Airbus A321neo, a narrow-body jet that serves as the workhorse for domestic and regional routes in Vietnam. Based on data compiled regarding the current fleet status, the 28 grounded aircraft include:

• 24 Airbus A321neo aircraft.
• 3 Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft, typically used for long-haul international flights.
• 1 Airbus A320ceo.

The shortage has disproportionately affected the country’s major carriers. Industry analysis suggests that Vietnam Airlines, the national carrier, accounts for the majority of these groundings, with estimates placing their share at approximately 15 to 19 aircraft. Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air is also impacted, with an estimated 9 to 13 aircraft out of service due to the engine issues.

Root Cause: The Pratt & Whitney Engine Recall

The persistent grounding is not a local operational failure but part of a worldwide recall involving Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines. A rare defect in the powdered metal used to manufacture high-pressure turbine discs has necessitated mandatory, time-consuming inspections to prevent micro-cracks.

According to industry reports, this issue affects over 1,500 aircraft globally. The maintenance process has created a severe bottleneck in the global supply chain. Repair facilities are currently overwhelmed, pushing the turnaround time for a single engine to between 250 and 300 days. Consequently, full resolution of the fleet shortage in Vietnam is not expected until late 2026 or early 2027.

Impact on Operations and Ticket Prices

The reduction in available aircraft has placed upward pressure on ticket prices, particularly as the country approaches the peak travel season for the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday. To mitigate the capacity crunch, airlines are employing several strategies:

• Wet-Leasing: Renting aircraft complete with crew to fill immediate gaps during the holiday rush.
• Increased Utilization: Operating remaining active aircraft for more hours per day.
• Route Restructuring: Suspending inefficient routes to focus resources on high-demand “golden routes,” such as Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.

“The engine shortage is the main factor driving up ticket prices,” Vietnam Airlines CEO Lê Hồng Hà has previously noted regarding the crisis.

Clarification: Hardware vs. Software Issues

It is crucial to distinguish the long-term grounding of these 28 aircraft from a separate, recently resolved incident. In late November 2025, reports circulated regarding “81 aircraft” affected by a technical issue. This referred to a software vulnerability in the Elevator Aileron Computer (ELAC) caused by solar radiation data corruption.

That specific software issue required an immediate update but was resolved within a 32-hour window ending November 30, 2025. The current grounding of 28 jets is strictly related to the long-term Pratt & Whitney engine hardware defects and is unrelated to the now-fixed software scare.

AirPro News Analysis

The aviation sector in Vietnam faces a difficult balancing act. While the CAAV has set ambitious targets to reach 95 million passengers in 2026, the physical constraints of the engine recall may dampen growth. With repair timelines stretching nearly a year, carriers like Vietnam Airlines are forced to carry the financial burden of grounded assets while simultaneously leasing supplemental capacity.

We assess that while the return of five aircraft to service marks progress, the “severe operational challenges” cited by Vietnam Airlines will likely persist through the 2026 fiscal year. The industry’s recovery trajectory is now entirely dependent on the global MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) capacity of Pratt & Whitney, leaving Vietnamese carriers with limited control over their own fleet availability.

Sources

• Vietnam News