Storm, bull affect many Vietnam Airlines flights

July 26, 2012 | 09:53

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Vietnam Airlines on Tuesday had to cancel and adjust departures of many flights to China due to the impact of Typhoon Vicente, better known as Storm No. 4 in Vietnam, and its flights from and to Hue as a bull ran into the area of Phu Bai Airport.

Vietnam Airlines said in a statement that the storm result in departures being delayed for its eight flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong and Guangzhou and vice versa two to four hours later than schedules, stranding 870 passengers. The national flag air carrier arranged seats for these guests on flights of the same day and those passengers for connecting services on Wednesday.

On the domestic front, Vietnam Airlines was forced to cancel or delay 12 flights linking Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to Phu Bai after a bull was found roaming from a nearby forest to the airport area. The management of this airport had to close the airport temporarily on Tuesday for the safety of services and passengers.

Nearly 1,800 got stranded until after late on Tuesday afternoon when Phu Bai Airport was re-opened to air activities. Vietnam Airlines transported the affected passengers on its flights afterward and arranged re-schedules for those passengers wanting to depart from Danang Airport, which is about 100 kilometers from Hue.

Vietnam Airlines is the only operator of scheduled daily services to Phu Bai Airport. Every day, this carrier conducts more than a dozen flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to the former imperial capital city of Hue.

SaigonTimes

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