In-depth
Flights delayed in Hanoi and HCM City as runways are repaired
  • | tienphong, dtinews.vn | July 08, 2020 12:55 PM
Many flights have been delayed and cancelled after the project to repair two runways at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports started on July 1.


  

Many Phu Quoc-Hanoi flights delayed

Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports each have one runway under repair and there are not enough parking slot for planes during rush hours.

Le Van Dong from Hanoi's Hoang Mai District said his flight from Phu Quoc to Hanoi on July 1 was supposed to take off at 9 pm but was delayed to 9.55 pm and then to 10.55 pm. "We waited at the airport for hours and finally were able to leave at 11.15 pm. All flights from Phu Quoc to Hanoi that night were delayed by two to three hours," he said.

According to Vietnam Airlines, many Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines and Vasco flights were badly affected from July 1. Bamboo Airways announced on July 7 that they would have to adjust the flight schedule for the whole July until the repairs are completed. Several Bamboo Airways flights on HCM City-Danang and HCM City-Phu Quoc will be cancelled while other flights will be delayed by four to five hours.

Many airlines have complained that their usual on-time performance rates were 90% but it has dropped to 50-80% in the past week.

The Ministry of Transport has asked the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam to review and adjust the flight schedule. After closing one runway, the capacity at Tan Son Nhat Airport dropped from 44 to 32 flights per hour and the capacity at Noi Bai Airport dropped from 32 to 28 flights per hour.

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam met with airport managers twice on June 15 and July 1 and will hold another meeting about flight scheduling to limit inconveniences for passengers on ticketed flights. The aviation sector is wholly dependent on the domestic market after social distancing so any negative effects must be addressed. The authorities also called for understanding from passengers.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the runways must be repaired now so that they could be reopened for the year-end travel season. If Vietnam reopens for international flights, the pressure would be even greater.

The ministry asked firms to reduce the number from Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports and direct the flights to other airports like Cat Bi in Hai Phong City, Tho Xuan in Thanh Hoa Province and Can Tho in Can Tho Province.

At the ceremony to mark the commencement of repair on June 29, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh asked the Ministry of Transport to adopt plans to ensure aviation safety, emergency response capacity and airport operations.

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