In the early 1990s while the Vietnamese economy faced numerous difficulties, the agency’s tasks were to secure the safety for all flights operating in its responsibility airspace and to participate in the process of taking over the Ho Chi Minh Flight Information Region (FIR) which was then handled by Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong (China) as provisionally assigned by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1975. Despite numerous difficulties, the Air Navigation Department of Vietnam had improved its technological capacity and human resources to get ready for taking over the FIR.

For 18 years, following the guidance of the Politburo and the government, the Vietnamese aviation sector, in cooperation with other sectors, as well as ministries and localities, had made great efforts to upgrade air transport infrastructure and improve its human resources. In 1993, at the third Regional Air Navigation (RAN) Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, with support of international friends, as well as foreign airlines having flights landing/ taking-off from Vietnam or flying over Vietnam’s airspace, ICAO has decided to consider returning the right to control the southern portion of the Ho Chi Minh FIR to Vietnam. On December 8, 1994, Vietnam took over the southern portion of the Ho Chi Minh FIR, marking a milestone in the history of the Vietnamese aviation sector. This was a significant victory in economic, technical, national defense and diplomatic aspects.

On June 25, 2010, the Minister of Transport issued Decision 1754/QD-BGTVT to establish the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation as a parent company with 100 percent of state-owned chartered capital operating in accordance with the 2005 Law on Enterprises. VATM continued providing air navigation services within FIRs managed by Vietnam, including air traffic service, communication-navigation-surveillance service, aeronautical information service, meteorological service, and aviation search and rescue service. These specific services represent Vietnam in international air navigation forums. VATM has played well its role and will continue ensuring safety for flights operating in Vietnam’s FIRs. The corporation participates directly in monitoring, managing and protecting Vietnam’s sovereignty over its national airspace.

Over the past 25 years, VATM has accumulated experiences in fields of its operations. The corporation operates in 28 provinces and cities nationwide, providing air navigation services for flights on 31 domestic air routes and 36 international air routes. VATM’s services cover a total area of nearly 1.2 million sq.km, ensuring safety for more than 2,000 flights to/from or flights over Vietnam’s airspace each day.

Over the past 25 years, VATM has ensured absolute safety for more than eight million flights. For many consecutive years, it has been a leading unit of the aviation sector in terms of productivity, quality and profitability. Total revenue from air navigation services reached nearly VND45 trillion, and national budget contribution exceeded VND23 trillion. Along with ensuring flight safety, VATM has maintained tight coordination with military units and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) of other countries in the region to find and deal on a timely basis with flight activities that violate regulations in order to ensure security within Vietnam’s airspace. The corporation has modernized and automated its equipment and air traffic management procedures in accordance with ICAO’s standards and recommended practices.

VATM is making further efforts to become one of the leading ANSPs in the Southeast Asian region and is determined to win the “Labor Hero in the Renovation Period” title for the second time.