How is obstruction of air traffic handled criminally?

Article 278 of the 2015 Penal Code, amended and supplemented in 2017, stipulates the Crime of obstructing air traffic, as follows:

1. Any person who places obstacles; illegally moves, distorts, obscures or destroys signs or signals of air traffic safety; misuses or interferes with communication frequencies; damages airport equipment or other auxiliary equipment and facilities serving flight safety; provides false information to the extent that it threatens the safety of aircraft, passengers, flight crew, ground staff or other persons at the airport, airfield or civil aviation works, equipment and facilities; Controlling or putting ground vehicles that do not meet technical conditions into operation at an airport or committing other acts that obstruct air traffic and cause damage to others in one of the following cases or having been disciplined or administratively sanctioned for one of the acts specified in this Article or having been convicted of this crime and not yet had his criminal record expunged but still committing the violation, shall be subject to a fine of from VND 30,000,000 to VND 100,000,000, non-custodial reform for up to 03 years or imprisonment from 01 year to 05 years:

a) Causing death;

b) Causing injury or damage to the health of 01 person with a body injury rate of 61% or more;

c) Causing injury or damage to the health of 02 or more people, with the total body injury rate of these people from 61% to 121%;

d) Causing property damage from VND 100,000,000 to under VND 500,000,000.

2. Committing a crime in one of the following cases shall be punishable by imprisonment from 03 years to 10 years:

a) Killing 02 people;

b) Causing injury or damage to the health of 02 or more people, with the total body injury rate of these people from 122% to 200%;

c) Causing property damage from VND 500,000,000 to under VND 1,500,000,000;

d) Is the person directly responsible for ensuring air traffic safety or directly managing air traffic safety equipment.

3. Committing a crime in one of the following cases shall be punishable by imprisonment from 07 years to 15 years:

a) Causing the death of 03 people or more;

b) Causing injury or damage to the health of 03 or more people, with the total body injury rate of these people being 201% or more;

c) Causing property damage of VND 1,500,000,000 or more.

4. Obstructing air traffic in cases where there is a real possibility of leading to the consequences specified in one of points a, b and c, Clause 3 of this Article, if not prevented in time, shall be subject to a fine of from VND 10,000,000 to VND 50,000,000, non-custodial reform for up to 02 years or imprisonment from 03 months to 02 years.

5. The offender may also be banned from holding positions, practicing a profession or doing certain jobs from 01 to 05 years.