1. Doan Nguyen Duc, or Boss Duc, president of Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL), is known as the first Vietnamese to buy a helicopter.

In 2008, Duc spent $5.1 million to buy a Beechcraft King Air350, a two-engine turboprop jet which could carry up to 11 individuals, with the cockpit enough for two pilots, and manufactured by the US Beech Aircraft Corporation in 2005.

To put the jet into operation, the HAGL owner had to spend $2 million more on tax, crew, and technical maintenance.

The King Air 350 mostly flew from HCM City to localities where HAGL developed projects in Vietnam and neighboring countries.

In 2013, Duc decided to sell the jet. The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation was willing to buy the aircraft. However, the aircraft was transferred to Vietstar Airlines, a carrier in the general aviation sector. The selling price was not revealed, but it was believed to be much lower than the initial price, because by the time of sale, the aircraft was 11 years old.

In 2014, Boss Duc once again caught public attention when traveling with the luxury Legacy600. Rumor had it that the second aircraft owned by Duc was bought at $27 million.

However, Vietnam’s aviation authorities said that the Legacy600 was registered by a foreign individual, and was leased to Duc. Two years later, the Legacy600 was no longer registered for use in Vietnam.

2. Tran Dinh Long, president of Hoa Phat Group, is the second billionaire to have had a private helicopter.

In 2010, Hoa Phat spent $5 million to buy EC135Pi with six seats. This is a low-altitude aircraft that cannot enter airways, but flies low. It must get approval from the Ministry of Defence for every flight.

After a period of use, he sold the aircraft to Hong Kong-based VinaCopter. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) later erased the nationality registration of the aircraft. Since then, Long has not registered any more private aircraft.

3. In 2014, Trinh Van Quyet, who was president of FLC Group, stated that FLC would  lease helicopters and yachts.

FLC then said it had bought two helicopters worth VND1 trillion, hoping that it would become the first carrier to provide flights with helicopters to tourism points under FLC’s management.

Later, Quyet later sold the two helicopters.

According to CAAV, these aircraft now belong to general aviation companies for lease. 

Hanh Nguyen