More local millionaires buy helicopters

Vinacopter Vietnam said it had received 6 orders for helicopters this year and would hand over the first of these by this year’s end.

Jussi Hoikka, its sales director, said the company had also sold 6 helicopters as of 2010.

A Vinacopter aircraft costs between US$2 million and 14 million excluding taxes.

At present, at least 2 millionaires in the finance and security sectors have announced their aircraft purchases.

One is Doan Nguyen Duc, Chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Corporation and the richest stock investor in 2008 and 2009. Duc now owns an $7.5 million Beechcraft King Air 350 and was the first businessman to have a private jet in Vietnam.

The other is Tran Dinh Long, Chairman of Hoa Phat Corporation who ranked the fourth richest domestic stock investors in 2009. Long spent $5 million to buy his EC 135P2i helicopter last year.

Meanwhile, Do Quang Hien, Chairman of T&T Corporation, also told the media last year that he planned to buy a helicopter for his company. Hien was ranked 48 out of the 100 richest stock investors in 2009.