Three airports in central region to suspend operation due to storm Noul

Aircraft of Vietjet Air at Da Nang airport (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has issued an urgent document requesting three airports in the central region to suspend operation on September 18, the day storm Noul is slated to land in the region.

Specifically, Chu Lai airport (Quang Nam province) is required to close from 04:00 to 8:00, Da Nang airport (Da Nang city) from 05:00 to 20:00 and Phu Bai airport (Hue city in Thua Thien-Hue province) from 06:00 to 21:00 (all local time) during the day.

Other airports in the region, namely Dong Hoi, Vinh, Pleiku, Phu Cat and Tuy Hoa, along with airlines, airports authorities and the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation, are instructed to closely follow the weather situation and make prompt reports to the CAAV’s command for natural disaster control and search and rescue.

Airlines have also announced they will cancel and postpone flights on routes to/from the three airports.

Vietnam Airlines said it will operate 22 additional flights on the affected routes on September 19 to compensate for the cancelled ones. Passengers are urged to keep updated with the airline’s official website and Facebook page, ticket offices or customers’ hotline.

Noul, the fifth storm to enter the East Sea this year, is gaining strength, heading to the central region of Vietnam and is expected to make landfall on September 18.

The storm is forecast to directly affect central provinces, especially Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Da Nang with wind speeds of 90-100 km per hour and sometimes hitting 135 km per hour.

Heavy rain will blanket the central provinces from September 17 afternoon to September 18 night, bringing high risks of flash flood and landslides in the central region.