HÀ NỘI — Airliners are required to provide meal and accommodation to passengers when their flights are delayed for more than six hours or cancelled, according to a new regulation issued by the Ministry of Transport.

The new circular, which will take effect on November 1, aims to protect the interests of passengers and requires airlines to improve the quality of their services in the situation of flight delay and cancellation.

As per the circular, the airlines must provide information on the status of the flight to the airport authority and enterprises that provide services on the delay or cancellation of the trip.

In case of delay, an interruption of 15 minutes or more of the flight schedule, the carriers have to inform the passengers, explain the reason, inform them about the expected takeoff time and apologise to the passengers.

Drinks, meal and accommodation should be provided to the passengers if the flight delay is for more than two hours, three hours or six hours, respectively.

For flights that are delayed for more than six hours beginning from 10pm to 7am the following day, accommodation or alternative arrangements must be arranged with the consent of the passengers.

Within 24 hours from the scheduled flight departure time, airlines are required to submit a report with the flight number, departure time, the number of passengers affected and the compensation provided, the regulation states.

Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam showed that 14,000 flights were delayed in the first six months of 2017, accounting for 12 per cent of the total fights of Vietnamese airliners.

Vietjet Air had the highest number with nearly 5,800 delayed flights and 30 cancelled flights in the first six months.

Ealier, the Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc asked the aviation industry to tackle the problem of frequent flight delays and cancellations.

The message was conveyed by Minister, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Office, Mai Tiến Dũng, at a meeting with the representatives of three aviation firms, including Vietnam Airlines, Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation and Airports Corporation of Việt Nam in Hà Nội in mid-August. — VNS