The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has fined singer Le Quyen and her husband VND4 million ($180) each for upsetting order and discipline on a flight after their young son urinated in an airline sick bag.

A CAAV statement on July 25 said Vu Le Quyen and her husband Le Duc Huy let their four-year-old son urinate into a sick bag at his seat on a Vietnam Airlines flight from HCM City to Hanoi on July 16.

Earlier, a photo of a woman, believed to be Le Quyen, was shared on Facebook by a passenger who was shocked by the incident, and the incident drew condemnation from social media users.

In an interview with the Vnexpress Newspaper on July 29, Le Quyen said,  "I was really tired on that flight to Hanoi after a long flight from the US the previous day.

"When the flight was about to land at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, my little son suddenly woke up and said he needed to urinate," she said.

There was outrage on social media about the incident, which was posted on Facebook by another passenger.

"I thought I had no time to take him to the lavatory so I took a sick bag," Quyen said.

"The chief stewardess arrived and loudly reminded us about their regulations and this attracted attention from some other passengers."

Quyen said any mother in her situation would have done the same thing.

"The difference is that I am a public figure, so I am expected to behave correctly, which is a great pressure," she said.