HCMC – The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has ordered the suspension of operations at four airports in central Vietnam as Storm Bualoi, the 10th storm of the year, moves closer to the coast.
CAAV issued an urgent directive to temporarily halt flights at airports expected to be directly affected by the storm.
Under the plan, Dong Hoi Airport in Quang Binh Province will suspend arrivals from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on September 28. Tho Xuan Airport in Thanh Hoa Province will close from 10 p.m. on September 28 until 7 a.m. on September 29. Phu Bai International Airport in Hue City will halt operations from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on September 28, while Danang International Airport will close from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. the same day.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, as of 4 a.m. on September 27, the storm was located about 580 kilometers east-southeast of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, with sustained winds of 118-133 kph and gusts up to 167 kph, moving quickly at 35-40 kph.
The storm is forecast to intensify further over the next 24-36 hours, reaching Category 12-13 on Vietnam’s wind scale with gusts up to Category 16, as it moves into the waters off Ha Tinh and Thua Thien-Hue. It will then gradually weaken as it makes landfall and dissipate over northern Laos.
Airports likely to experience the most direct impact include Tho Xuan, Vinh, and Dong Hoi. Phu Bai and Danang airports may face strong gusts earlier due to the storm’s outer circulation. Other airports such as Noi Bai, Van Don, Cat Bi, and Chu Lai have been told to monitor the situation closely.
To minimize disruption and ensure safety, the CAAV has instructed airports and airlines to maintain round-the-clock monitoring, inspect infrastructure, implement flood prevention measures, and secure equipment. Construction activities at Cat Bi, Vinh, and Dong Hoi airports must be halted and reinforced against storm damage.
The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation has been tasked with intensifying monitoring and providing timely updates, while airlines are required to adjust flight schedules as necessary to ensure passenger safety.
