HÀ NỘI — The Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam on Tuesday night decided to inspect operations at the air traffic control station in Hải Phòng City’s Cát Bi International Airport.

The move came after the crew on two flights could not get in touch with the station for more than half an hour on March 9 as the main-duty air controller working on the night shift was sleeping and the sub-duty controller was absent.

Speaking to Zing online newspaper, Phạm Văn Hảo, deputy head of Civil Aviation Authority, said the incident was a threat to air traffic safety.

As per the statement issued by the agency on Tuesday night, the crew on two flights of Vietjet Air - VJC921 departing for South Korea, and VJC292 arriving from HCM City - reportedly failed to contact Cát Bi air traffic control from 10.51pm to 11.24pm and 11.38pm on March 9.

The head of the station and the two air traffic controllers working on the night shift have been suspended for delaying the two flights.

The Northern Airport Authority has also temporary revoked air-traffic-control licences of the two controllers for two months and slapped administrative fines on them, each received a fine of VNĐ7.5 million (US$330).

“The inspection aims to prevent a repeat of the incident,” the agency said.

In another move, Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình has asked the People’s Committee of HCM City for clarification on recent news reports by Việt Nam Television that drivers hired to transport fuel to airplanes in Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport were allegedly stealing thousands of litres of fuel and selling it in the market daily.

Bình has asked for a detailed report of the case, the violators and the penalties before April 1. — VNS