Vietnam Airlines Partners Facing The World and the World Alliance of Airway Management

(08/05/23)  Vietnam Airlines has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK-registered charity Facing The World (FTW) and the World Alliance of Airway Management (WAAM).

Facing the World launched a new approach to sustainable healthcare, resulting in self-run centers of excellence in the countries where it operates, providing crucial surgery to children born with disabling facial deformities.

According to the cooperation agreement, over the next five years Vietnam Airlines will fly specialist FTW teams to Vietnam to provide training for Vietnamese doctors, enabling them to perform life-changing operations on children born with disabling facial deformities.

The airline will also donate key equipment to Vietnamese hospitals that will facilitate complex surgeries, and will conduct other charitable activities across the country.

Vietnam Airlines A321 reg: VN-A398. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

“Thousands of children in Vietnam need urgent surgery to their head and neck, to treat physical abnormalities that limit their quality of life. But despite huge advances in medical care there, many are unable to access the treatment they need. These cases can be incredibly complex and require highly specialist skills in difficult airway management, often because their breathing structures are distorted,” said Katrin Kandel, CEO of Facing The World. “Having the support of both Vietnam Airlines and the World Alliance of Airway Management, doctors in Vietnam can now train in the latest techniques to manage these challenging surgical cases. Our fellowship programmes in the UK, US and Australia allow doctors in Vietnam to increase the standards of care and change the lives of children all over the country.”

Vietnam Airlines has also confirmed that it will transport experts from all over the world for the WAAM Satellite Conference to be held in Vietnam in 2024.

“Our long-term goal is to help enable Vietnamese doctors to learn new techniques and approaches from the world’s leading surgeons,” said Le Hong Ha - President and CEO of Vietnam Airlines. “We are proud to continue to support charities such as Facing the World and not-for-profit organisations such as the World Alliance of Airway Management. Through this cooperation, Vietnam Airlines wants to affirm its role in supporting the healthcare sectors of both Vietnam and the UK, thereby strengthening trust, friendship and long-term cooperation between the two countries.”

In addition to the above, Vietnam Airlines has worked hand in hand with voluntary organisations to carry out humanitarian missions, including supporting the transportation of doctors and nurses from Operation Smile to provide free surgery for children with cleft lip, cleft palate and maxillofacial deformity; and from Vietnam Heart Programme to support the cost of heart surgery for children.

The flag carrier currently operates 96 routes to 22 domestic and 27 international destinations with one of the youngest fleets in Asia, including flagship aircraft such as the Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 Dreamliners, Airbus A350-900 XWBs and Airbus A321neos.

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