Transport Minister Dinh La Thang has ordered that the new sleep pod service offered at Noi Bai International Airport be stopped.

SleepPods at Noi Bai International Airport

The pods were the first of their kind at Noi Bai International Airport, and were put into use on July 22 by Vietnam Airlines Tourism Company (VATC) on the third floor in Terminal T1. Each pod is four square metres and comes with free drinks and snacks. They also have power sources and free wireless connections.

Rental for one night is VND1.5 million (USD71.4) for a single and VND1.8 million (USD85.7) for a double.

When the transport minister was informed of the new pods, however, he ordered the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam to see to it that the pods be closed because there are so many delayed flights. “Many passengers may misunderstand and suspect that airlines delay flights on purpose so that passengers are forced to sleep at the airport," said Thang. 

He added that after the problem of flight delays is dealt with and Terminal T2 is operating well, the sleep pod service could be resumed. He also noted that if the service is not stopped, the heads of related agencies would be punished.