The story
Founded on June 8, 1951, Air Viet Nam was the civil airline of the State of Vietnam. It had a capital of 18 million piastres (equivalent to 306 million French francs at that time). The Government of the State of Vietnam contributed 50%; the rest was contributed by Air France (33.5%), Indochina Air Transport (SITA) (11%), Maritime Transport (Messageries maritimes) (4.5%), Union aéronautique des transports (Union aéronautique des transports) (0.5%), and Aigle Azur Indochine (0.5%). October 15 was the inauguration day of Air Viet Nam.
During the Republic of Vietnam era in the 1960s, Air Viet Nam began using Douglas DC-3 aircraft for domestic and international flights. In 1964, it was reinforced with French Caravelle jets. Because of the war, domestic civilian passenger flights could not fly at night and had to fly during the day for security reasons. Air Viet Nam had flights to Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong and Vientiane. In 1965, it opened flights to Kuala Lumpur; in 1966, Taipei; in 1968, Manila, Osaka and Tokyo.
By 1968, the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) government contributed 75% of the capital to Air Viet Nam while Air France reduced its share to 25%.
As passenger traffic increased with the start of the Vietnam War, Air Viet Nam added aircraft, initially Viscounts, DC-3s, and DC-4s. It eventually obtained more modern aircraft, including Boeing 727s, some of which were obtained from Air France and Pan Am. At least one C-46 was leased from China Airlines, and was flown by a Taiwanese crew. That aircraft had a color scheme different from the rest of the Air Viet Nam fleet.
In an unusual joint venture, Air Viet Nam was joined by Continental Air Services (CASI), a subsidiary airline of Continental Airlines set up to provide operations and airlift support in Southeast Asia, in the mid-1960s. Under this agreement, CASI would share passengers and cargo routes with Air Viet Nam on certain domestic and international routes. In addition, CASI and Air Viet Nam would share hangars and flight lines. CASI also picked up a portion of aircraft maintenance. Heavy engine overhaul was done in Hong Kong, by China Airlines, and some in Taiwan by Air Asia (a subsidiary of Air America). CASI paid a portion of its revenues to Air Viet Nam for the routes and privileges. Many CASI aircraft operating from Saigon carried the dragon emblem of Air Viet Nam.
In 1972, Air Vietnam had one B747-200 leased from Air France and another B747-100 leased from Pan Am both of which were flown back to their owners within a few weeks of the Fall of Saigon.
Air Viet Nam's initial fleet consisted of five Cessna 170s, Douglas DC-3s and Douglas DC-4s with the airline flying mainly between cities and towns throughout Vietnam, used primarily to fly to large and small towns across Vietnam, including Hanoi, Hai Phong, Dong Hoi, Huế, Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang and Ban Me Thuot. By 1975, Air Viet Nam was using a fleet of Boeing aircraft, some leased from Pan Am and China Airlines consisting of a number of Boeing 707s and Boeing 727s on both regional and international routes.
As passenger traffic increased during the Vietnam War, Air Vietnam added a number of aircraft, initially Viscounts, Douglas DC-3s and Douglas DC-4. From early 1962, Air Vietnam operated two Cessna 185 Skywagons and two Cessna 310.
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In 1967, Air Viet Nam chose to buy two Boeing 727s from Pan American World Airways to transport international passengers for 1.440 billion VND (equivalent to 13.053 million USD) to pay Pan American World Airways in two installments in early and mid-January 1968. Air Viet Nam committed to repay the debt to the government within 10 years with an interest rate of 3% per year. This was a deal that received special attention from the Republic of Vietnam because it simultaneously purchased two modern commercial jets produced by the United States in the context of the wartime economic difficulties in the South at that time.
Air Viet Nam in 1974 had 16 cargo planes transporting fresh vegetables from Da Lat to Saigon when the railway connecting Da Lat and Thap Cham had stopped operating since 1972.
Fall of Saigon
During the Fall of Saigon and the impending invasion of North Vietnam into South Vietnam, Air Viet Nam decided to assist and help all South Vietnamese citizens to escape to neighboring countries. Many of their pilots and crew worked long hours ferrying South Vietnamese citizens to Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian countries to escape the invading North Vietnamese army. One Boeing 707 flew to Taipei for the use of former President Nguyen Van Thieu and his wife, and close aides had been flown into exile on a CIA C-118 transport. Thieu was extended the courtesy once in exile of the Boeing jet as he went from first Taiwan, then the United Kingdom, before finally flying onto the United States where it was returned to Pan Am from which it had been leased. An Air Vietnam aircraft abandoned at the Songshan Airport was later handed over to a Taiwanese airline. One Air Vietnam Boeing 727 was returned to Vietnam from British Hong Kong in early June 1975.
After the war ended and fall of the Republic of Vietnam, in addition to the facilities previously taken over, in 1976 the Vietnamese government agreed to confiscate the remaining assets of Air Vietnam and transfer them to the General Department of Civil Aviation for management and use, including 282 airports of the Republic of Vietnam and 14 DC-type aircraft and many other types of transport aircraft. Among them were seven Douglas DC-3s, five Douglas DC-4s, two Douglas DC-6s and a Boeing 707. In addition, there was a Boeing 727 stranded in Hong Kong. At the same time, 2,166 employees were recalled to service.
The only commercial jet aircraft transferred from Air Vietnam to Vietnam Airlines were one Boeing 707 and one Boeing 727-100.
From Wikipedia’s article on Air Vietnam, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4