Vietnam Helicopters
Vietnamese state-owned helicopter operator providing aviation transport, aerial work, training, maintenance, defense support, and commercial charter services.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Vietnam Helicopters, formally the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation and also known by its military designation Corps 18, is a Vietnamese state-owned aviation and transportation organization under the Ministry of National Defense. It combines the functions of a commercial helicopter operator, military aviation unit, aircraft-maintenance organization, pilot-training provider, and government-support aviation service. Its activities include passenger and cargo transport, offshore oil-and-gas aviation, tourism flights, aerial photography, cargo sling operations, medical evacuation, search and rescue, aircraft engineering, pilot and technical training, aviation logistics, and support for national security and civil-defense missions. The organization traces its institutional origins to 20 April 1979. A Vietnam Air Force helicopter flight unit dedicated to oil-and-gas services was established in September 1983, followed by the formation of Helicopter Vietnam in March 1985. In 1989, the Vietnamese Government established the Service Flight Corporation of Vietnam, incorporating Northern Service Flight Company and Southern Service Flight Company as operating subsidiaries. The organization expanded in 2007 with the addition of Hai Au Company and a maintenance joint venture, Bien Hoa Helicopters. In 2010, the Service Flight Corporation of Vietnam was renamed the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation. Vietnam Helicopters became an important aviation contractor for Vietnam's petroleum industry. It was the first company in Vietnam to provide helicopter transportation for oil-and-gas personnel and has supported more than 30 companies, including Vietsovpetro, Premier Oil, BHP, Petronas, BP, and Chevron. Offshore and industrial aviation remain central to its operating profile, alongside charter and tourism services. The company has operated more than 50 domestic charter routes serving destinations such as Ha Long, Cat Bi, Mong Cai, Lao Cai, Sa Pa, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Hue, Da Nang, Vung Tau, Con Dao, Ca Mau, and Phu Quoc. The group operates a fleet reported at approximately 28 aircraft, with aircraft configured to carry between four and 24 passengers. Its published fleet history includes Eurocopter EC225 and EC155 B1 helicopters, AS332 L2 Super Puma aircraft, AgustaWestland AW189 aircraft, Russian-built Mi-172 and Mi-17-1V helicopters, Cabri G2 and EC130T2 aircraft, and Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopters. Fleet composition and individual aircraft status can change over time. Training and engineering are major parts of the organization's business. The VNH Training Center is certified by Vietnam's Ministry of Defense and trains pilots, ground-services personnel, aviation engineers, and other technical staff. Its programs have supported Vietnam Helicopters as well as the Vietnam People's Air Force and Vietnam People's Navy. The group's engineering centers, including VNH North, VNH South, and Helicopter Technical Services Corporation, hold aircraft-maintenance approvals from Vietnam's civil aviation authorities. Helitechco has also been described as a specialist center for maintenance of Russian-built Mi-type helicopters, while the broader engineering network supports Eurocopter and Mi aircraft. Vietnam Helicopters also performs public-interest and government-sponsored missions. Its Missing in Action program, established with the United States on 18 April 1990, conducted searches for personnel missing from the Vietnam War and contributed to the normalization of United States–Vietnam relations. The company additionally provides or supports medical evacuation, search and rescue, civil-defense aviation, national-security operations, subcontracted flight and technical services, and other specialized missions. Its commercial activities extend to office and warehouse leasing, aviation-fuel supply, freight forwarding, and logistics. The organization therefore occupies a hybrid position: it is simultaneously a defense-associated state enterprise, an industrial aviation contractor, and a civilian helicopter-services brand.
History
Vietnam Helicopters developed from Vietnam's postwar military and state aviation infrastructure. Its formal founding date is 20 April 1979. The organization later established an oil-and-gas aviation capability when the first Vietnam Air Force flight squad dedicated to petroleum services was created on 13 September 1983. Helicopter Vietnam was formed in March 1985, creating a more defined institutional base for specialized rotary-wing transport. In 1989, the Vietnamese Government organized the Service Flight Corporation of Vietnam. Northern Service Flight Company and Southern Service Flight Company operated as subsidiaries, giving the group a regional structure for commercial and industrial flight operations. The organization supported the country's developing petroleum sector and became Vietnam's first provider of helicopter transport for oil-and-gas personnel. Its client base eventually included Vietnamese and international energy companies such as Vietsovpetro, Premier Oil, BHP, Petronas, BP, and Chevron. The group broadened its structure in 2007 by adding Hai Au Company alongside its Northern and Southern service-flight businesses. It also had a joint venture, Bien Hoa Helicopters, focused on maintenance and repair. In 2010, the Service Flight Corporation of Vietnam was renamed the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation. The organization is also known by the military designation Corps 18 and remains a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of National Defense, giving it a role that extends beyond ordinary commercial aviation. Vietnam Helicopters' operating model combines specialized transport with a broad range of aviation support. It has operated a fleet reported at 28 aircraft, with capacity ranging from four to 24 passengers. Services have included offshore transport, domestic charter flights, tourism, aerial photography, cargo sling work, subcontracted pilots and mechanics, aviation-fuel supply, and forwarding logistics. Its charter network has included more than 50 routes and destinations across northern, central, and southern Vietnam. Training became another important institutional capability. The VNH Training Center received Ministry of Defense certification and trained pilots, ground-service employees, aviation engineers, and other technical personnel. Training has supported the company's own workforce as well as the Vietnam People's Air Force and Vietnam People's Navy. The training fleet and technical curriculum have included aircraft such as the EC225, AS332 L2 Super Puma, EC155 B1, Mi-172, and Mi-17-1V. Some instructors received training from helicopter organizations in Hong Kong and Malaysia. Engineering and maintenance expanded in parallel. VNH North, VNH South, and Helicopter Technical Services Corporation were identified as aeronautical engineering centers licensed by Vietnam's Civil Aviation Administration. Helitechco developed particular expertise in Russian-built Mi-type helicopters and was described as the only engineering center in Asia ratified by the MIL Institute for that maintenance role. The group's engineering operations have covered scheduled maintenance, major overhauls, accessory work, and support for Eurocopter and Mi aircraft. More than 200 civil-aviation-authority-certified employees were reported to be receiving or pursuing aviation education domestically and internationally. The organization's public and international role was especially visible through the Missing in Action program. Established with the United States on 18 April 1990, the program conducted more than 100 searches throughout Vietnam for personnel missing from the Vietnam War. Operations sometimes took place in hazardous terrain and weather. The effort was part of the wider process that contributed to the normalization of United States–Vietnam relations. One of the program's missions ended in the fatal crash of a Mi-17 in Quang Binh province on 7 April 2001, killing all 16 people aboard. Vietnam Helicopters has also experienced fatal accidents during other operations. An EC130 training flight crashed near Vung Tau on 18 October 2016, killing three crew members. On 5 April 2023, a Bell 505 sightseeing flight crashed in Ha Long Bay, killing its pilot and four tourists. These events are part of the organization's documented operational history but are not classified here as scandals because the supplied reference does not establish misconduct or a related controversy. Today, Vietnam Helicopters remains a defense-associated state aviation group with commercial, industrial, training, engineering, emergency-response, and national-security functions. Its subsidiaries and operating centers serve different geographic and technical roles, while its overall portfolio connects Vietnam's petroleum, tourism, transport, maintenance, and public-service aviation sectors.
- 2010
Corporate renaming
[1]The Service Flight Corporation of Vietnam was renamed the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation.
- 2007
Hai Au added to the group
[1]The Service Flight Corporation expanded with Hai Au Company and maintained the Bien Hoa Helicopters maintenance joint venture.
- 1990
United States–Vietnam MIA program established
[1]Vietnam Helicopters and the United States established the Missing in Action search program on 18 April.
- 1989
Service Flight Corporation created
[1]The Vietnamese Government established the Service Flight Corporation of Vietnam with Northern and Southern Service Flight companies as subsidiaries.
- 1985
Helicopter Vietnam established
[1]Helicopter Vietnam was established in March, formalizing a dedicated helicopter-services organization.
- 1983
Oil-and-gas flight squad established
[1]The first Vietnam Air Force flight squad dedicated to oil-and-gas services was formed on 13 September.
- 1979
Organization founded
[1]Vietnam Helicopters traces its formal founding to 20 April 1979.
Products and positioning
A defense-linked Vietnamese helicopter group positioned between commercial aviation services, industrial transport, specialized aircraft engineering, and public-sector mission support.
Industrial aviation · 1983
Offshore oil-and-gas helicopter transport
Vietnam Helicopters provides rotary-wing transport for personnel working in Vietnam's petroleum industry. The service has supported more than 30 companies, including Vietsovpetro and international energy businesses. It is one of the organization's longest-established commercial aviation roles and connects offshore installations and industrial sites with shore-based facilities.
Passenger aviation
Charter and tourism flights
The group operates charter and sightseeing services for passengers, with routes and destinations reported across Vietnam. Its network has included Ha Long, Cat Bi, Mong Cai, Lao Cai, Sa Pa, Hoa Binh, Hue, Da Nang, Vung Tau, Con Dao, Ca Mau, and Phu Quoc. Aircraft configurations range from small helicopters to models able to carry larger passenger groups.
Aerial work
Cargo and aerial-work services
Vietnam Helicopters performs cargo transport, sling-load operations, aerial photography, and other contracted aerial work. These capabilities support industrial customers, public agencies, and specialized projects where conventional road or fixed-wing transport is impractical.
Aviation training
Pilot and aviation technical training
The Ministry of Defense-certified VNH Training Center trains helicopter pilots, ground-services employees, aviation engineers, and other technical personnel. Training has served Vietnam Helicopters and elements of the Vietnam People's Air Force and Vietnam People's Navy. Aircraft used in training programs have included EC225, AS332 L2, EC155 B1, Mi-172, and Mi-17-1V helicopters.
Aircraft maintenance
Aircraft maintenance and engineering
The group's engineering centers provide scheduled maintenance, overhaul, accessory maintenance, and technical support for Eurocopter and Russian Mi-series aircraft. Helicopter Technical Services Corporation has been identified as a specialist center for Mi-type maintenance, while the wider engineering organization supports aircraft such as the EC225, Super Puma, EC155 B1, Mi-172, and Mi-17-1V.
Public-service aviation
Emergency and government aviation
Vietnam Helicopters supports medical evacuation, search and rescue, civil-defense flights, national-security missions, and other government-sponsored operations. These services reflect its status as both a commercial aviation provider and a formally organized unit associated with the People's Army of Vietnam.
Marketing campaigns
- 1990Missing in Action recovery program
Vietnam · United States
Vietnam Helicopters partnered with the United States to search for Americans missing from the Vietnam War. The organization conducted more than 100 searches across Vietnam, including missions in hazardous terrain and weather.
Outcome. The program contributed to the normalization of United States–Vietnam relations and became a long-running example of the company's international and public-service aviation role.
Brand decisions
2010
Renaming as Vietnam Helicopter CorporationStrategyBackground
The state aviation group had developed beyond its original service-flight structure and operated across transport, engineering, training, and defense-support functions.
Action taken
The Service Flight Corporation of Vietnam was renamed the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation.
Aftermath
The Vietnam Helicopter Corporation name became the principal corporate identity associated with the group's broad helicopter-services portfolio.
2007
Expansion into an additional subsidiary and maintenance partnershipStrategyBackground
The Service Flight Corporation broadened its organizational and technical footprint beyond its Northern and Southern service-flight companies.
Action taken
Hai Au Company was added as a subsidiary, while Bien Hoa Helicopters operated as a maintenance and repair joint venture.
Aftermath
The move expanded the group's service portfolio and reinforced its aircraft-maintenance capabilities.
1989
Creation of the Service Flight CorporationStrategyBackground
The Vietnamese Government reorganized helicopter and service-flight activities into a corporation with Northern and Southern operating subsidiaries.
Action taken
The new corporation was established with Northern Service Flight Company and Southern Service Flight Company as subsidiaries.
Aftermath
The structure provided the basis for later expansion into commercial transport, industrial aviation, and additional aviation services.
Sources2 sources
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