Tran Viet Dung, Youth Union Deputy Secretary of Flight Crew Division 919 (middle) (Photo: VNA).

Hello, Deputy Secretary Tran Viet Dung. First of all, please tell me how you felt being appointed to become the Local Union Deputy Secretary? 

Upon hearing that I was appointed to be Youth Union Deputy Secretary of Flight Crew Division 919, I felt really happy and proud as the organization put their trust in me and recognized my achievements. Having joined the Youth Union since secondary school, I have always been active and enthusiastic about the Union’s affairs, and I have held leading positions in the Union throughout secondary school, high school, university, and even now. As a member of the Vietnamese youth force, a successor of the senior, I always put in the effort to work hard, enrich my own knowledge, and utilize my youthful strength and creativity.

For a young aviation worker, a strong sense of responsibility is the most important factor. (Photo: VNA).

Wow, so you were already very active in the Union! So, can you please tell me about your job and how you maintain a balance between your responsibilities and the Youth Union’s work?

As you already know, pilots are attached to the stars, the moon, the clouds, and the sky, we face challenges of extreme schedules as we work while everyone is asleep, and this unconventionality is a part of our job. For example, during Tet holiday, while passengers travel, we are still dedicated to our job of bringing joy and chances for reunions to our passengers.

Every job has its unique challenges and characteristics; however, I always managed to systematically arrange my time to fulfill both my professional duties and the Union’s duties. Therefore, you can see my constant smile, (Mr. Dung smiles) which is from my love for this job, and my youthful strength and energy. I guess those are the keys to my success.

What do you think is the most important thing for a young aviation worker?

“Flying” or “jumping” are always the first things people think of when aviation is mentioned. However, you know for a flight to be operated safely, it requires not just pilots, attendants or mechanics, but the harmonious collaboration and cooperation between ground units and other various departments. So, in my opinion, the most important thing to have when working as a young worker in aviation is a strong sense of responsibility. If you are responsible for yourself and your duty, Vietnam Airlines’ business and production line will run smoothly, enabling you to perform your job productively, provide high-quality service to our beloved customers, and to keep them safe and satisfy their needs.

How do you feel when witnessing Vietnam Airlines’ constant development and extension? Can you tell me more about those milestones?

The first thing I would like to recall is how proud and honored I was when being chosen to represent Vietnam Airlines to receive Skytrax’s 4-star airline certification for the 3rd consecutive year. As a member of Vietnam Airlines, I was really happy and proud to be able to contribute to the National Flag Carrier’s constant development and help the airline reach world-class quality. Working in such an ideal, professional, and dynamic environment excites me and motivates me to never stop developing and perfecting myself.

Could you please tell me whether your unit’s Youth Union has any recent ‘worth mentioning’ activities?

2019 is a meaningful and emotional year for Flight Crew Division 919 in particular and Vietnam Airlines in general. Last May, Flight Crew Division 919 organized a large ceremony to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Among the series of programs organized for this event, Flight Crew Division 919’s Youth Union contributed many joyful and meaningful activities. We hosted a lot of programs, such as “I Love 919” teambuilding event, “Back to our Roots 2019” program at Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Nghe An, International Children’s Day, and Mid-Summer Festival for children of staff, pilots and employees of the flight crew.

The Flight Crew Division’s Youth Union is also very proud and honored to be able to contribute to the success of “Hanoi Open Dragon Boat Race 2019” with 1 gold medal and 1 silver medal. All of our programs are pilot-centered, so they have a useful space to relax after long flights and hard-working days. These programs have been met with extremely positive reactions and participation.

Deputy Secretary Tran Viet Dung in the journey of going back to the roots with Flight Crew Division 919 (Photo: Viet Dung)

There is a common misconception that the Union’s activities are for show and outdated. What are your thoughts on this?

What do “for show” and “outdated” mean to you? (Smile) Do you know that, in Vietnam, young people are the main workforce and considered the “golden population?” With such a young and enthusiastic force, I don’t think that Union activities can be pointless or boring. What you should fear is having no passion or youthful strength left in you. Just put your trust in Vietnam Airlines’ young generation, watch, feel, and witness how responsible, proactive, and creative Vietnam Airlines’ young people are! (Another smile)

Deputy Secretary Tran Viet Dung at Vietnam Airlines Spirit Concert in Long Bien area (Photo: Xuan Nghia).

It is known that Flight Crew Division 919’s sport, cultural, and entertainment activities are really strong. Take the recent Vietnam Airlines Spirit Concert in Long Bien area as an example; the Flight Crew won its first prize as the best team of the region. How do you feel about the first victory of your Flight Crew?

I am really excited and happy as the whole team’s effort last month helped reap us such a wonderful achievement. We gave five performances, and all five won either a First or Second Prize, which led to the overall First position of Long Bien area for the team. As you can see, most members of the Flight Crew are pilots, so the performing team consists mostly of pilots, which makes it extremely hard to arrange flying time and a rehearsal schedule. However, as all members of the team are greatly enthusiastic, we managed to balance between flying and rehearsal time so as not to impede the company’s business while maintaining the performances’ quality.

Sometimes, we use our free mornings to rehearse, then have a flying session in the afternoon or hastily go to rehearsal right after coming home from a flight. Any success requires sacrifice, doesn’t it? (Smile).

May I ask a non-related question? If you must choose three words to describe your personality and who you are, what are they, and why?

Responsibility – Enthusiasm – Dedication

Responsibility: To me, everything I do follows the same principle: “Always work with a strong sense of responsibility; be responsible for your work and yourself.” When you give it your all, take responsibility, what you do will always lead to good results and productivity.

Enthusiasm: My favorite quote is: “Youth is a gift wherever it is needed, wherever there are difficulties to cope with.” “If everyone chooses the easy task, who takes the hard one?” If not you, then who? Always be passionate about everything you do, the road you choose, always be brave, and lead the way whenever the country or your organization needs you!

Dedication: My dear friends, “Youth is like a cup of tea, a couple of flights, ain’t no tea left” [TDW1] (Smile), don’t waste your time and youthful energy. Live your passion, put all your heart and soul into everything you do, work hard, and play hard to make your youth meaningful.

Can you tell me about an ordinary day of yours?

Being a pilot is a non-ordinary job; its working and resting hours are completely different from other professions. We work while you sleep and rest while you are busy with your daily life. My typical workday may begin in the early morning or very late at night.

We have our working schedule preplanned for the whole month so we have to balance properly between our personal life and work so that our health is guaranteed.

Participating in VNA’s dragon boat race (Photo: Viet Tuan)

Not stopping at 4-stars, Vietnam Airlines is aiming to achieve a 5-star rating as of 2021. In your view, what could you do to help promote and enhance Vietnam Airlines’ service to reach such a level?

Vietnam Airlines’ current status is not just a domestic or regional airline, but an international one. Witnessing Vietnam Airlines’ constant development, I am extremely proud that I did contribute quite significantly to the objective of promoting Vietnam Airlines to the world. We, the pilot force, the sky’s ambassadors, are the company’s face with a noble mission of introducing Vietnamese people’s sincerity, openness, and friendliness to people from all over the five continents.

In my humble opinion, it’s not just “I,” it’s “you and I,” we must work together for the pride of our homeland of Viet Nam, and for “Vietnam Airlines Spirit.” Don’t stop updating new technology, or enriching skills and knowledge. Always be proactive, creative, and responsible for your job. If each of us is willing, I believe that Vietnam Airlines shall achieve tremendous growth and development, and within less than two years, we shall be gleefully organizing the event celebrating: “Vietnam Airlines – The 5-Star Airline!”

Thank you for your time!

Nguyen Mai Huong-COMM