Second Vietnamese woman dons airline captain insignia

Hong earned her promotion after accumulating 4,000 flight hours under strict professional standards and requirements, and after being a co-pilot on Airbus A320 aircraft for four years.

Jetstar Pacific certified the 33-year-old woman as captain on Thursday.

Vietnam's newest captain Le Thi Bich Hong. Photo courtesy of Jetstar Pacific

The nation’s second female airplane captain majored in French Literature at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City. She also got a Masters Degree in international relations in Australia before deciding to settle down in Vietnam.

She seized on the opportunity to realize her dream to becoming a pilot when she learnt that the aviation industry was looking for pilots to “localize” its human resources.

After passing many examinations, Hong was selected for a pilot training program in New Zealand. After completing her training, she began to fly commercial aircraft between Hanoi and Saigon.

“There is no such joy comparable to being able to fly over the sky of my motherland and take passengers to different parts of the country,” Hong said.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy became Vietnam’s first female captain, when national carrier Vietnam Airlines promoted her in 2013.