Air traffic controllers suspended for falling asleep on duty
Two air traffic controllers at Cat Bi International Airport in Hai Phong City have been suspended from work for two months for falling asleep during work hours and leading to flight being forced to circle the airport.
The head of the ATC was also suspended. The deputy head of Hanoi Air Traffic Control Center will take over the job and two other controllers will replace the suspended controllers.
According to Northern Airport Authority, two air traffic controllers were also fined VND7.5m (USD330) for losing contact with pilots on March 9.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam is carrying out inspections over the operation at Cat Bi control tower and asked Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation to address the issue and adopt measures to prevent similar incidents.
On March 9, a plane of Vietjet Air from Hai Phong to Seoul that was supposed to take off at 11.45 pm but lost contact with the ATC from 10.51 pm to 11.24 pm.
Another plane from HCM City to Hai Phong also lost contact from 10.51 pm to 11.38 pm. The plane was approaching the airport but was unable to connect with the tower.
The pilot was forced to circle for 30 minutes while trying to make contact with the tower multiple times.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said this interruption in service posed a severe threat to air traffic safety. The controllers violated procedures on their duty changing. The main air traffic controller, Luong Thi Minh Thu, went to sleep for over an hour while the other controller, Nguyen Van Chanh, was absent until tomorrow morning.
All equipment is said to be fine at the time of the incident.
Cat Bi Air Traffic Control Tower
The head of the ATC was also suspended. The deputy head of Hanoi Air Traffic Control Center will take over the job and two other controllers will replace the suspended controllers.
According to Northern Airport Authority, two air traffic controllers were also fined VND7.5m (USD330) for losing contact with pilots on March 9.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam is carrying out inspections over the operation at Cat Bi control tower and asked Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation to address the issue and adopt measures to prevent similar incidents.
On March 9, a plane of Vietjet Air from Hai Phong to Seoul that was supposed to take off at 11.45 pm but lost contact with the ATC from 10.51 pm to 11.24 pm.
Another plane from HCM City to Hai Phong also lost contact from 10.51 pm to 11.38 pm. The plane was approaching the airport but was unable to connect with the tower.
The pilot was forced to circle for 30 minutes while trying to make contact with the tower multiple times.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said this interruption in service posed a severe threat to air traffic safety. The controllers violated procedures on their duty changing. The main air traffic controller, Luong Thi Minh Thu, went to sleep for over an hour while the other controller, Nguyen Van Chanh, was absent until tomorrow morning.
All equipment is said to be fine at the time of the incident.
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