Flight schedules disrupted due to 5 ATR-72 breakdowns

Within half a month, 5 Vietnam Airlines ATR72s had technical problems. The airline's flight schedule was disrupted and had to use Airbus A321s to carry passengers.

Information released by the Civil Aviation Authority on August 1 said that on July 3, 13 and 16, Vietnam Airlines' flight schedule on the Hanoi - Dong Hoi route was disrupted.

The reason is that between June 30 and July 17, 5 of the airline's ATR72 aircraft suffered technical failures and needed to be inspected and repaired. Therefore, Vietnam Airlines had to cancel some flights and change the entire flight schedule of the Hanoi - Dong Hoi route during the 3 days mentioned above.

Vietnam Airlines' ATR72 fleet currently has 14 aircraft, including one used as a reserve. Illustration photo: Huynh Tran Bao Duy

Faced with the situation of broken aircraft and canceled flights, Vietnam Airlines has proposed two options for selection. Accordingly, the airline can bring another ATR72 aircraft the next day to make up for the flight, or bring an Airbus A321 aircraft to replace it and fly on the same day. Option 2 has higher operating costs, but was chosen because passengers were affected the least. After bringing the A321 aircraft, passengers on canceled flights were transported all the same day, with a delay of 2 to 5 hours.

The Civil Aviation Authority assessed that Vietnam Airlines had fulfilled its obligations as a carrier to passengers whose flights were canceled due to technical reasons. Most passengers were notified of the cancellation before arriving at the airport. Only 10 people who did not receive notification arrived at the airport and were provided with transportation and meals by the airline for more than 5 hours waiting for the new flight.

The Civil Aviation Authority also requested the airline to pay VND200,000 per passenger in compensation for the cancelled flights. According to the Authority, the technical failure of the aircraft this time does not exempt the carrier from liability, so Vietnam Airlines must fulfill its obligations to passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled.

Currently, Vietnam Airlines owns a fleet of 14 ATR72 aircraft. The fleet is allocated to Tan Son Nhat Airport with 7 aircraft, Da Nang with 2 aircraft, Noi Bai with 4 aircraft and one aircraft as a reserve for the entire network.

According to the newspaper