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Typhoon Wutip, the first storm of the season, is causing serious impacts on air travel in central Vietnam, particularly at Da Nang International Airport. According to preliminary statistics, air traffic is extremely strained, with numerous flights affected.
Specifically, nine flights to Da Nang were completely canceled, while nine others were unable to land and were forced to divert. Furthermore, eight flights that had already taken off had to return to their departure airport due to extremely bad weather conditions.
Many flights to Da Nang were delayed or canceled due to the storm.
At Da Nang's domestic terminal, at noon today, the familiar sight of long lines of passengers waiting to check in was evident, while heavy rain continued outside. The flight information board showed a bleak situation: out of 12 Vietnam Airlines and VietJet flights to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Phu Quoc, only one was currently being processed. Seven flights were delayed, and four others still had no specific departure times, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and worried about their schedules.
Da Nang International Airport was also not immune to the impact. A pair of flights from Da Nang to Macau (China), scheduled to depart at 10:30 PM and from Macau at 10:05 PM on June 12th, were forced to be delayed, affecting international passengers.
According to preliminary statistics from Da Nang International Airport, 9 flights were canceled, 9 flights were unable to land at Da Nang airport, and 8 flights took off but had to return to the runway.
Vietnam Airlines, the national airline, has recorded significant losses. On the evening of June 11th and the early morning of June 12th, the airline had to cancel 14 flights between Hanoi and Da Nang. In addition, two flights, VN7167 and VN7165, from Hanoi to Da Nang were unable to land as planned, being diverted to land in Cam Ranh or return to Hanoi due to inadequate safety conditions at Da Nang airport.
During the same period, seven flights to Da Nang had to circle in the air, causing a chain reaction that delayed 32 other flights by 20 to 65 minutes. The bad weather also spread to Phu Bai Airport (Hue), causing many flights to and from that airport to circle or depart late.
Due to the impact of Typhoon Wutip, the two flights from Da Nang to Macau (China) have been delayed.
To respond promptly and prioritize safety, Vietnam Airlines quickly adjusted its flight schedule. The airline plans to increase flights and use wide-body aircraft on the Hanoi - Da Nang route on the afternoon of June 12th to alleviate passenger congestion.
Vietnam Airlines has sincerely apologized to passengers for the inconvenience caused by unavoidable schedule changes due to weather conditions. The airline also announced that flight times may continue to be adjusted depending on the storm's development and will continuously update information through official communication channels as well as the contact information in passengers' booking records.
According to the National Center for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting, the bad weather caused by Typhoon Wutip is likely to continue affecting flights to central Vietnam today and tomorrow. At noon today, the center of Typhoon Wutip was located west of the Hoang Sa archipelago, maintaining an intensity of level 8-9 with maximum wind speeds of 88 km/h.
Passengers should check the weather forecast beforehand due to the impact of Typhoon Wutip.
Over the next 24 hours, the storm is expected to move west-northwest at a speed of approximately 5-10 km/h, heading directly towards Hainan Island (China). In the northern part of the South China Sea, including the Paracel Islands, winds today will reach force 6-7, gusting to force 9, with rough seas and waves 3-5 meters high. Specifically, the northwestern sea area will experience strong winds of force 7, near the storm's center force 9-10, gusting to force 13, with very rough seas and waves 4-6 meters high.
In particular, the central region of Vietnam is expected to continue experiencing very heavy rainfall today and tomorrow, with common rainfall amounts ranging from 100-200mm, and localized areas exceeding 350mm. This situation requires airlines and passengers to be extremely cautious and proactively prepare contingency plans.
