EN
Due to the complex impact of super typhoon Ragasa, Vietnamese airlines have had to proactively adjust their flight schedules to ensure absolute safety for passengers and crew. With the strongest wind reaching level 17, gusting above level 17, super typhoon No. 9 has caused serious impacts on aviation activities on a wide scale, from international routes to a number of key airports in the country.
Faced with the complicated developments of super typhoon Ragasa (typhoon No. 9), Vietnam Airlines has quickly taken response measures. The airline has adjusted the flight routes of flights between Vietnam and Northeast Asia to avoid the storm's impact area, ensuring safe journeys. Notably, on September 23 and 24, the airline decided to cancel a number of flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to Hong Kong and Guangzhou (China). In addition, many other flights to and from Cat Bi airport (Hai Phong) on September 24 were also adjusted to take off/land earlier to avoid the storm's landing time.
Noi Bai, Van Don, Cat Bi international airports and Tho Xuan, Vinh, Dong Hoi airports are in the area affected by super storm No. 9 Ragasa.
Similarly, Vietjet Air also had to temporarily suspend many flights on September 23 to ensure safety. The airline canceled flights VJ876/VJ877 from Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong and VJ8892/VJ8893 from Da Nang to Macau, along with many other international routes. Both airlines affirmed that ensuring passenger safety is always the top priority, and advised passengers to proactively update flight information before going to the airport to avoid unnecessary inconveniences.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam issued a dispatch to units in the industry, requesting them to focus on implementing measures to respond to super typhoon Ragasa to ensure the safety of flights, people and property at airports.
Super typhoon Ragasa not only affected international flights but also caused serious chain effects on domestic flights. Six major airports in Vietnam, including Noi Bai (Hanoi), Van Don (Quang Ninh), Cat Bi (Hai Phong), Tho Xuan (Thanh Hoa), Vinh (Nghe An) and Dong Hoi (Quang Tri), are forecast to be in the area directly affected by the storm.
In this situation, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has issued an urgent dispatch, requesting airlines and relevant units to closely monitor the storm's developments and promptly adjust flight plans. At the same time, the Authority has also directed to strengthen inspections of infrastructure at airports and terminals to ensure absolute safety for people and property.
Accordingly, the six airports forecast to be affected by super typhoon Ragasa are Noi Bai (Hanoi), Van Don (Quang Ninh), Cat Bi (Hai Phong), Tho Xuan (Thanh Hoa), Vinh (Nghe An), and Dong Hoi (Quang Tri).
The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) also assessed that super typhoon Ragasa could have a serious impact on flight operations, especially in important air traffic control areas. VATM held an urgent meeting to develop many response scenarios, including adjusting air traffic flows and arranging 24/7 staff to promptly handle emergency situations and ensure flight safety.
In response to the unpredictable developments of the super typhoon, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has issued many important recommendations to passengers. During the flight, passengers should fasten their seat belts, especially when the plane encounters turbulence. This proactive action, even when the signal lights are off, will help minimize the risk of injury when the plane moves through complex weather conditions.
In addition, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has also issued warnings about the impact of storms on coastal and inland areas. Coastal areas of Quang Ninh - Hai Phong provinces are at risk of storm surges of 0.5-1m, causing landslides of dikes, seawalls and destroying aquaculture areas and moored boats.
From early morning on September 25, coastal areas from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa are expected to have strong winds of level 6-7, then increasing to level 8-10, gusting to level 12, while inland areas in the Northeast also have strong winds of level 6-7, gusting to level 8-9. Authorities, including the Ministry of Construction, have issued urgent dispatches, requesting units and localities to focus on synchronously implementing storm prevention solutions, to ensure safety for people and infrastructure.
