Issued by the Ministry of Construction on April 30, 2026, and taking effect on July 1, 2026, Circular 18/2026/TT-BXD marks a major update to Vietnam's civil aviation safety regulations.
Official Regulatory Framework
Circular 18/2026/TT-BXD was officially issued by the Ministry of Construction on April 30, 2026, and took effect on July 1, 2026. This regulatory update re-affirms that safety assurance remains the primary objective across all civil aviation operations in Vietnam. The circular maintains a strict target of zero fatal accidents while aligning national oversight directly with the standards of the Chicago Convention (ICAO).
Under this official framework, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) oversees the national State Safety Plan. Simultaneously, all industry stakeholders – including airlines, air navigation service providers, airport operators, and ground handlers – are required to establish internal action plans to comply with national safety objectives.
Key Operational Shifts
Circular 18/2026/TT-BXD introduces fundamental changes to how aviation safety is managed operationally across the sector:
- Risk-based & Performance oversight: Regulatory monitoring now combines traditional compliance checks with performance-driven and risk-based evaluations. CAAV oversight resources are allocated based on specific risk profiles rather than uniform inspection schedules.
- Proactive hazard identification: Industry organizations are mandated to identify potential hazards early and mitigate operational risks before they can escalate into serious incidents.
- Trust culture & Voluntary reporting: The circular promotes safety reporting and information sharing without penalty, improving system-wide data transparency and accuracy.
- Shared enterprise responsibility: All aviation organizations must guarantee the necessary financial, technical, and human resources required to sustain their internal safety plans.
Quantitative Safety Metrics
A core strength of Circular 18/2026/TT-BXD lies in its structured mechanism for safety data collection and measurable performance monitoring:
- Sector-Specific SPI Sets (Article 10.1): The Civil Aviation Safety Indicators must be established for each distinct sector of civil aviation. These metrics rely on safety data collection, risk assessment, and feasibility to align directly with national, regional, and global ICAO safety plans.
- Annual Targets & Baseline Metrics (Article 10.3): The CAAV is mandated to determine and officially announce specific safety targets annually before January 15. These targets must be based on safety trends and data, requiring performance to equal or surpass the previous year’s benchmark.
- Mandatory Domain-Specific Indicators (Annex II):
Fixed-wing aircraft operators: Monitored metrics include accidents, serious incidents, unstable approaches, runway excursions/incursions, loss of control in-flight (LOC-I), controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), airspace infringements, and technical flight interruption rates.
Airport operators: Tracked indicators encompass wildlife/bird strikes, foreign object debris (FOD) damage, ground collisions, runway incursions, and aircraft taxiing errors.
Industry common indicators: Standardized metrics for all organizations include alcohol/substance testing violations, timely non-compliance resolution rates, voluntary safety reporting volumes, and workplace injury rates.
- Regulatory Oversight & Tracking (Article 10.5): The CAAV is legally tasked with conducting regular monitoring, inspections, and evaluations of how effectively each industry organization tracks and achieves its internal safety performance indicators.
Alignment with ICAO standards
By tying national regulatory requirements directly to ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Plan, Circular 18/2026/TT-BXD ensures that Vietnamese aviation operations closely mirror international practices. Annual policy reviews and data-driven indicator tracking help maintain high safety performance metrics, strengthening the international operational credentials of Vietnamese carriers as they expand global routes.
