The Hangar War in Vietnam: Billionaires Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo and Bầu Hiển Break Vietnam Airlines’ Monopoly

For many years, Vietnam Airlines and its subsidiary VAECO have maintained a monopoly in the aircraft maintenance sector in Vietnam. Establishing a hangar requires substantial investment and stringent technical standards, creating barriers for new entrants, especially private airlines. However, as airlines like VietJet Air and Bamboo Airways expand their fleets, they are starting to invest in their own maintenance infrastructure to reduce reliance on external providers. VietJet Air, for instance, recently won a bid to build a hangar at Long Thanh Airport for 1.543 trillion VND. Additionally, T&T Group, led by Bầu Hiển, proposed to invest in an aviation ecosystem in Quang Tri. The rise of private airlines is gradually breaking Vietnam Airlines’ monopoly, opening up competitive opportunities and growth for the aircraft maintenance industry in Vietnam.