Heavy rain disrupts flights in central Vietnam; plane carrying 223 passengers diverts to Hanoi
Bad weather in central Vietnam on November 9 forced several flights to divert, return or be canceled. A flight carrying 223 passengers to Dong Hoi diverted to Hanoi, while 21 flight movements were affected at Da Nang International Airport. Airports Corporation of Vietnam instructed regional airports to strengthen flood preparedness and advised passengers to check their flights before traveling.
On the afternoon of November 9, Vietjet flight VJ262 from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Hoi could not land as scheduled because of bad weather at its destination and diverted to Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi. After the 223 passengers landed safely, the airline arranged road transport to Dong Hoi. Another Vietjet flight from Dong Hoi to Ho Chi Minh City was canceled, affecting 203 passengers.
Heavy rain in central Vietnam affected flight operations at several airports.（VietVance）
That evening, Vietnam Airlines flight VN1549 from Hanoi to Hue returned to Noi Bai Airport after takeoff because weather conditions prevented it from landing in Hue, affecting 170 passengers. Heavy rain at Da Nang International Airport halted apron operations for 7 minutes and affected 21 flight movements. Some aircraft circled while waiting to land, while some departing flights were delayed by up to 83 minutes. A Vietnam Airlines round-trip flight at Phu Bai Airport in Hue was also canceled.
Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) instructed airports in the central region to maintain round-the-clock staffing, inspect drainage and communications systems and construction sites, and have personnel, equipment and supplies ready. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam directed industry units to implement disaster prevention measures to protect passengers and flight operations. ACV advised passengers flying to or from central Vietnam to check flight schedules with their airlines before heading to the airport and monitor weather conditions.
A forecast cited by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam indicated that rainfall from November 8 through the night of November 11 could reach 250 to 450 mm in Hue, Da Nang and eastern Quang Ngai, with more than 700 mm in some areas, posing risks of flooding, flash floods and landslides. Airport authorities reported that, as of the morning of November 10, heavy rain and flooding had caused no casualties, property losses or damage to aviation infrastructure at airports under their jurisdiction.
Source: VietVance
