HÀ NỘI — The Northern Airports Authority has decided to impose administrative fines on four security staff members for not fulfilling their duties relating to the incident in which a Vietjet employee was assaulted in the central province of Thanh Hóa. Accordingly, each security guard will have to pay a VNĐ4 million (US$172) fine.

On November 23, a group of men including Lê Trung Dũng (34), Phan Hữu An (28) and Lê Văn Nhị (41) went to Thọ Xuân Airport to see off a friend who was flying to HCM City. The group asked a Vietjet employee to take a photo for them and she agreed. Then, the group asked her to join them for a group photo but she declined, saying she was on duty. The men became aggressive, slapping her face and punching her.

The violence finally ended after airport security officials stopped the gang and took them to a local police station.

After the incident, Đinh Việt Thắng head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV), asked the agencies under his leadership to step up supervision and detect violations early for timely intervention, ensuring the safety of aviation staff and normal operation of their services.

Responsive measures should be adopted by airlines to protect their staff from passengers’ bad behaviour, he said.

Considering the assault was serious because it did not only threaten the health of aviation staff but also affected the security of aviation at Thọ Xuân Airport, the CAAV has issued a one-year flight ban on the three men.

Thanh Hóa Police on November 25 decided to begin criminal proceedings against the three men for disturbing social order. — VNS