Hanoi - Vietnamese authorities are inspecting budget carrier Jetstar Pacific Airlines (JPA) after two foreign engineers fired by the company accused it of violating safety protocols, government officials said Wednesday.

Jetstar Pacific's former chief engineer, Bernard John McCune of Australia, and one of his colleagues sent a letter on October 26 to the Vietnam Aviation Agency detailing several violations of safety rules.

The most recent breach allegedly occurred on September 14, when a maintenance crew working on an Airbus A320 discovered a problem with an engine intake that should have barred the aircraft from operating. Instead the aircraft is said to have remained in operation until October 6.

Deputy Minister of Transportation Pham Quy Tieu, said inspectors were investigating whether the engineers' claims were accurate.

Lai Xuan Thanh, deputy head of the Vietnam Aviation Agency, said the inspection would be complete by November 15.

The engineers' letter said maintenance procedures had not always been recorded in the aircraft's technical diary. They said both foreign and local technicians had failed to report such violations for fear of being sacked.

Thanh said if what McCune reported were true, it would affect the reputations of both JPA and the state-owned Vietnam Airlines.

On Wednesday, the online newspaper VnExpress quoted senior Jetstar Pacific executive Daniela Masilli as saying the two foreign engineers had been fired for performance-related reasons.

JPA is the only private airline in Vietnam. (dpa)