Nghe An: Dozens of flights canceled and delayed due to bad weather

Many flights were canceled

Dense fog in Vinh City in February 2023. Photo: QA

Most recently, on the evening of February 13, 5 flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh were canceled (resumed on February 14). One flight had departed but could not land at Vinh airport due to thick fog and low clouds, forcing it to land at Noi Bai airport, Hanoi. Passengers were forced to take another leg to get to Vinh.

Statistics from Vinh International Airport show that since the beginning of February, when fog appeared, 24 flights at Vinh airport were canceled on February 5, February 6 and February 13. In addition, 10 flights had to be diverted and landed at other airports. In particular, more than 60 flights were delayed for many hours.

Fog covers Vinh International Airport. Photo: QA

According to the reporter, the cancellation of flights, landing at other airports or long delays have affected the lives and work of passengers, even though this is a force majeure situation due to weather incidents. The airport is always crowded with people waiting with anxiety and fatigue.

Mr. Nguyen Van Nam, Dien Chau district said: On the evening of February 13, I was at Vinh airport early to fly to Ho Chi Minh City, but the flight was canceled, so I had to inform the agency that I would have to arrive 1 day later than expected. After that, I had to rent a house to rest, waiting for the airline's announcement of the return flight...".

It is worth mentioning that the fog may continue in the coming time, flights will continue to be affected. According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, in the first half of February, the cold air will be weak and shift to the east, so the North and Thanh Hoa and Nghe An will have light rain, drizzle, and fog at night and in the morning. In the second half of February, the cold air will be stronger, the mountainous and midland areas may have severe cold, the average daily temperature will be 15 degrees Celsius or lower. Fog and humidity are likely to last the rest of the month.

Ensuring flight safety for passengers

In bad weather conditions, especially fog and low clouds that directly affect visibility and flight safety during the changing seasons, proactively and flexibly adjusting flights and canceling flights that pose a risk of unsafety is necessary to ensure the safety and health of all passengers.

Vinh International Airport is always crowded on bad weather days. Photo: QA

Mr. Dao Van Khanh - Representative of Vietnam Airlines Branch in Nghe An said: Since the beginning of February, the airline has had to cancel 5 flights at Vinh airport due to fog at night. This is a mandatory action because if the flight conditions are not safe and still take off, there is a high possibility of an incident. Although the cancellation and delay will affect the passengers, for the overall safety of the entire flight, this is the right thing to do.

According to Mr. Khanh, all flights that were canceled were widely announced to all passengers through various means such as text messages, phone calls, and announcements on the airport loudspeakers, and all had alternative flight plans for the following day. All delayed routes were re-departed after a certain period of time. Therefore, all passenger rights are guaranteed according to regulations.

Passengers arriving at Vinh airport were forced to wait for hours due to flight delays. Photo: QA

The leader of Vinh International Airport said: Fog at the time of changing seasons often occurs from February to April every year, although it is not rare, this year, the fog has occurred more frequently and thicker, causing limited visibility, forcing many flights at Vinh airport to be canceled, delayed or diverted to another airport to ensure safety.

“We have also coordinated with airlines to ensure that if there is a decision to cancel a flight, passengers must be notified early so that they can arrange their time and work, and avoid having to go to the airport, especially those coming from far away areas. If passengers have arrived at the airport and then receive a cancellation notice, airlines must take measures to support passengers while waiting for the next flight according to regulations,” emphasized Mr. Hoang Van Thu, Director of Vinh International Airport.

According to Mr. Thu, although the weather in February was not favorable, fortunately the thick fog did not coincide with the peak days when people left their hometowns after Tet, so it was still under control. If it coincided with the days from the 4th to the 7th of Tet, the number of passengers over 10,000 per day would have caused an overload that would be difficult to control.

Airline staff inform passengers about flight status. Photo: QA

In the face of bad weather, especially dense fog, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has directed airlines to closely monitor the fog and low cloud conditions to adjust flight schedules accordingly, ensuring absolute safety of flight operations; selecting additional backup airports outside the area affected by bad weather; directing pilots to strictly follow flight safety procedures. In case flights are affected by delays or cancellations due to weather, airlines must proactively notify passengers early, clearly stating the cause, and fully performing the obligations of the carrier and the rights of passengers according to regulations.