Vietnam Airline Abandonment Ends as Boeing 727-200 Becomes Training Aircraft

A Boeing 727-200 aircraft that has been abandoned for nearly 20 years at Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam is finally getting a new purpose. According to a decision signed by Deputy Minister of Construction Le Anh Tuan, the plane will be handed over to the Vietnam Aviation Academy for management and use as a training aid.

The aircraft previously belonged to Royal Khmer Airlines (RKA) from Cambodia and was registered as XU-RKJ. It operated on the Hanoi - Siem Reap - Hanoi route starting in March 2007, but technical problems forced it to stop flying on May 1, 2007.

The plane remained parked at Noi Bai International Airport for many years until the Ministry of Finance issued a decision establishing state ownership over it in 2017. Now, under a new decision from the Ministry of Construction, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam is responsible for transferring the plane to the Vietnam Aviation Academy.