Vietnam closes 4 airports as storm Bualoi approaches

At 6:00 am on Sunday, the eye of storm Bualoi was located about 150 kilometers east of Da Nang City in central Vietnam and approximately 360 kilometers from the north of Quang Tri Province. 

The storm is expected to make landfall in areas between Nghe An and Quang Tri Provinces on Sunday night, with maximum winds possibly reaching levels 10–12 and gusts up to level 14, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reported.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, airports forecast to be directly affected by storm No. 10 include Tho Xuan in Thanh Hoa Province, Vinh (currently closed for runway upgrades) in Nghe An Province, and Dong Hoi in Quang Tri Province.

Phu Bai Airport in Hue City and Da Nang Airport in the namesake city are expected to experience early strong gusts due to the storm's circulation.

To avoid the impact of the storm, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam instructed the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation to issue notices about the suspension of aircraft arrivals at the four airports.

In particular, Da Nang Airport will cease operations from 6:00 am to 11:00 am on Sunday, while Phu Bai Airport is set to close between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm the same day.

Dong Hoi Airport will shut down from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Sunday, while Tho Xuan Airport will suspend flight operations from 10:00 pm on Sunday until 7:00 am on Monday.

The authority also advised Noi Bai, Van Don, Cat Bi, and Chu Lai airports to stay updated and be prepared in case the storm develops unexpectedly.

To ensure the safety of flight operations, personnel, and assets at airports, and to minimize disruptions, the authority requested all units to maintain 24/7 readiness and strictly follow storm and tropical depression response procedures in civil aviation.

Airports were instructed to inspect airport infrastructure and communication systems to promptly detect and address any damage, ensuring safety for airport facilities and operations.

Measures are also being implemented to prevent flooding, ensure proper drainage at airports, and protect airport infrastructure, vehicles, and equipment, with the goal of quickly restoring normal operations to serve passenger needs.

Vietnam Airlines announced adjustments to several flights scheduled for Sunday due to the storm.

Flight VN1597 from Hanoi to Dong Hoi and VN1404 from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Hoi were rescheduled to depart at 5:30 am the same day.

Flight VN1590 from Dong Hoi to Hanoi was adjusted to take off at 7:10 am, and flight VN1405 from Dong Hoi to Ho Chi Minh City at 7:45 am.

Flight VN7270 from Ho Chi Minh City to Tho Xuan was set to leave at 7:00 am, while flight VN7271 from Tho Xuan to Ho Chi Minh City had its departure time changed to 9:25 am.

In addition, Vietnam Airlines canceled all flights to and from Phu Bai Airport and suspended flight operations to and from Da Nang International Airport until 12:00 pm on Sunday.

During this period, some other domestic and international flights may also be affected by storm Bualoi.

Vietnam Airlines advised passengers to keep their seat belts fastened throughout the flight, especially in adverse weather conditions.