ICAO’s Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme – Continuous Monitoring Approach (USOAP-CMA) to Viet Nam

Also attending were senior leaders of The Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (National Continuous Monitoring Coordinators of the USOAP-CMA); directors of Specialized Departments of The Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV); aviation stakeholders: Viet Nam Air Traffic Management, Viet Nam Airports; and Airlines: Viet Nam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways, Vietravel Airlines.

 

The ICAO’s USOAP-CMA team consists of 07 members from Gambia, Ghana, China, Turkey, Italy, Gabon and Saudi Arabia, led by Mr. Ousman Kemo Manjang, on the mission.

Speaking at the opening session, Director General Dinh Viet Thang highlighted the importance of the USOAP-CMA Audit Program with respect to the enhancement of States’ oversight capabilities, ensuring the operation of civil aviation in a safe, effective and orderly manner to achieve the ICAO's primary objective of ensuring the safety of international civil aviation worldwide.

Previously, on October 12, 2011, CAAV and ICAO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme – Continuous Monitoring Approach.

Based on the MOU signed in 2011, the ICAO conducted the audits in Viet Nam under the ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM) program in 2011 and 2016.

The succeeding ICVM plan was scheduled in 2020, but then cancelled amidst the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Intergrated Validation Activities (IVAs) scheduled to conduct in Viet Nam in 2020 was also postponed due to the pandemic.

Through the ICVMs, the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam has developed and implemented a Corrective Action Plan to address the recommendations identified by the Audit Teams, which has significantly improved our aviation safety oversight system in various areas, which has contributed to the safety of civil aviation activities in Viet Nam and international aviation community. In particular, the Viet Nam Aviation Law is being amended and supplemented to meet the requirements of ICAO, such as the establishment of an independent accident investigation authority and the authority to grant exemptions, etc.

(ICAO’s USOAP-CMA Team to Viet Nam).

CAAV will cooperate and work with the highest effort with members of the Audit Team on this mission, while hoping to receive opinions, guidance from the Audit Team so that both sides may well understand each other, which will facilitate the discussion and submission of more appropriate evidences to the Audit Team.

This audit will cover 08 key areas: legal system (LEG); organizational structure (ORG); personnel licensing (PEL); aircraft operation (OPS); aircraft airworthiness (AIR); accident investigation (AIG); air navigation services (ANS); aerodromes and ground aids (AGA) by assessment means of a new system of Protocol Questions (PQs) with Priority PQs being the focuses. This is a significant challenge for States.

However, this is also an opportunity for States, including Viet Nam, to identify the requirements and demands of ICAO to further improve their safety oversight system in the future.

According to the plan, the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme in Viet Nam will be conducted from May 15 to May 27, 2024./.

(Trans. by Legal and International Cooperation Department)