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First Pilot training school opened in Vietnam. VFT Viet Flight Training Joint Stock Company launched first ever training school for pilots Mar 05 in Ho Chi Minh city. Training school capacity is 100 pilots per year.

Before, all Vietnamese pilots were sent abroad for training, mainly in Australia and France. In the recent years, with establishment of new airlines in Vietnam like Indochina Air, Vietjet Air and Mekong Air, demand for pilots in Vietnam increased accordingly, but supplies never meet.

Currently, airlines in Vietnam must rent foreign pilots for their operation. Cost for rental is estimated tens of million USD per year. The first course by VFT recruited 15 trainees, who will be trained for 22 months.

After graduation, qualified students will have chance to work for airlines in Vietnam and those in the region.


Currently, the 3 main share holders of Viet Flight Training Joint Stock Company are: Vietnam Airlines (largest holder of 26%), Service Flight Corporation of Vietnam - SFC and Vietnam Aircaft Leasing Company - VALC.

Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier has to hire almost 150 foreign pilot, and sending abroad for training from 60 to 80 pilots, other airlines has to rent almost 100% foreign pilots.

Meanwhile, the low cost airlines Jet Star Pacific hiring a crew of 64 pilot, with only 1 of them is Vietnamese.

Viet Flight Training target to build up a national training centre for professional pilots in Vietnam, and to ensure high quality of graduates to meet up with international standard.

The setting up of Viet Flight Training is financially supported by Airbus Manufacturer. The sum of Euro 850,000 is committed in an agreement signed after the school opening on Mar 05./.

American Assistant Secretary of State Mrs. Janice L. Jacobs calls for more Vietnamese students to study in the US. Mrs. Jacobs hold talk with students of Foreign Trade University of Vietnam today at the school campus today persuading them for their further study in the States.

"It is a wonderful way for you to get to know the US and in vice versa, a good way for US people to explore Vietnam", said the American Assistant of State to more than 300 students from year 1 to year 3 of the top list university in Vietnam.

Jacobs confirmed that the new US administration would continue to give priority to the granting of visas to Vietnamese students, affirming the global economic crisis and the growing unemployment in the US “does not affect the current visa granting policy.”

Studying abroad, particularly in developed countries, always not an easy issue for Vietnamese students in term of getting entrance visa. US, UK and Australia are among top choice for Vietnamese students for their further education, but also the most difficult nations in granting entrance visa.

"We have more than 4,000 institution nationwide, and the number of Vietnamese student in the US now is about 15,000, rank 8th among foreign students in the States", said Mrs. Jacobs, insisting that "we want more Vietnamese students".

In 2006, Vietnam ranked 21 st on the list of foreign students in the US.

Plenty of Vietnamese students pursue to have their education in the US. Pic: child vendors at Cua Lo beach, Nghe An province.

Students in Foreign Trade University of Vietnam pay more attention to financial aid from US government and scholarship from private US organisations.

As the US financial crisis, the Assistant Secretary of State informed them that "money (aid) may shrink or decreased", but emphasized that US government will take their effort to build up American campus in Vietnam to meet the demand of Vietnamese students.

It costs USD 25,000 to 40,000 for an academic year in the US. It is not an affordable sum for most of Vietnamese family, but US is still an attractive destination for Vietnamese youngsters.

Huong, 19 first year student at faculty of External Economics, Foreign Trade University expresses her wish to study in the US as she likes the way of teaching and methodology from US education.

"There's another reason for my choice, that's the variety of faculties in the US. I do think I am able to pick the most suitable one for my future career", Huong said./.

Mr. Ha Dinh Ngu, director of Preventative Medical centre in Thanh Hoa province (150 km south of Hanoi) announced an infected flu strain A H5N1 case in the province. This is the first patient confirmed with the deadly virus of bird flu in Vietnam year 2009.

Vietnam News Agency quoted Mr. Ngu saying that the patient is a girl of 8 years old, names Bui Thi Thao. She is still being hospitalized in the Central Hospital of Thanh Hoa province. She gained progress with the treatment in hospital now.


Death birds found in the village of the patient. There are 19 housholds in the district of Ba Thuoc, Thanh Hoa province found with outbreak of bird flu. Pic: Duck farm in Phu Xuyen district, Hanoi

The little girl was found sick since Dec 27 last year and has been sent to the communal clinic, but there was no better result with the local treatment. Bui Thi Thao was transferred to Thanh Hoa Central hospital on Jan 2.

Vietnam News agency said, on the same day, her fluid sample was tested by National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. Test result showed positive with H5N1.

Initial investigation showed within the patient family, there were totally 9 death chicken and aquatic birds, they have eaten 4 of the death birds.

According to by WTO in Vietnam until March 2008, there were 106 case of human infection of H5N1 avian influenza with 52 deaths confirmed. Local media said the country culled about 100 mln poultry, estimated loss by bird flu is about 4,000 trillion VND (USD 235 mln equivalent)./.