Jetstar Pacific is safe despite its breeching of safety regulations, said Vietnam’s Minister of Transport, who argued that none of the carrier’s planes had taken off without passing pre-flight inspections.

He made no comment on a recent inspection by the Vietnam Civil Aviation Administration that found widespread maintenance malpractice at the budget carrier.

“Passengers should feel safe,” he said, adding that “the most urgent work for Jetstar Pacific right now is to guarantee safety in accordance with international standards.”

According to inspection results released Monday, the budget carrier had not performed safety and maintenance work properly and in line with current regulations.

Many errors had been concealed deliberately, according to the ten-day inspection that began November 5 after ex-chief engineer Bernard John McCune accused the low-cost carrier of failing to follow proper maintenance procedures, including monitoring wing engines.

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam has asked Jetstar Pacific to restructure its quality control system, ensure that maintenance logs are used properly, and finalize all documents needed to register work permits for their foreign employees.

Source: Thanh Nien