HÀ NỘI — The Vinh International Airport in central Nghệ An Province will be fined VNĐ40 million (US$1,800) after a man without a boarding card was caught boarding a flight. 

On Monday afternoon, the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam issued a document to related individuals and bodies mentioning that their carelessness had led to a mentally-ill man trying to break into a plane at Vinh Airport on Saturday.

Flight attendants of the Vietnam Airlines’ flight No VN1265 were checking the final procedures for take-off from Vinh City to HCM City when they found a young man climbing into the flight’s airstair. The man was later said to suffer from mental illness, and the flight took off 40 minutes later than scheduled.

Accordingly, the deputy head-in-charge of the airport’s security received a written warning for his/her poor management capability and direct supervision, whilst the airport was fined for the malpractice, the online zing.vn reported.

The aviation authority’s assessment indicated that the incident did not result in serious consequences but severely affected aviation security. The airport’s security workers and those involved in flight procedures were found to have violated regulations while on duty leading to the incident.

The Vinh International Airport authorities had failed to fully check and supervise the staff on duty, and to examine the dangers and risks in the security methods, for which the airport was fined VNĐ40 million and also given a written warning.

Four security staffs were reprimanded and fined VNĐ10 million each and their operation licences revoked for two months. A personnel involving the flight procedures was fined VNĐ4 million.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam required the Airports Corporation of Việt Nam and the Vinh International Airport to abide by the handling of these individuals and bodies and make a report to the authority by Saturday.

The aviation authority plans to carry a full review of the airport security programmes at airports nation-wide to implement effective solutions. Additionally, airports are recommended to pour further investments to upgrade and complete material facilities and train staff to avoid similar possible incidents. — VNS