HCMC – Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh sent a document to the Ministry of Transport on November 2 asking it to clarify the reason for a bump between two airplanes at the Noi Bai International Airport and determine who is responsible.
At around 7 a.m. on November 2, the bump between two Airbus A321 aircraft of Bamboo Airways occurred at the airport. The elevator of an Airbus A321 Neo plane, which was being towed to the taxiway, hit a part above the windshield of an Airbus A321 plane that was parked nearby.
Both aircraft suffered minor damage. The elevator of the Airbus A321 Neo was slightly deformed, while the Airbus A321 suffered some scratches.
No one was injured during the incident. All 138 passengers on board the Airbus A321 Neo were transferred to another plane for their flight, which departed around one-and-a-half hours behind schedule.
Both aircraft have been suspended from operation for examination.
Dinh Viet Thang, director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), said the incident was caused as the aircraft tow truck driver made a mistake while pushing the aircraft to the taxiway. The driver, the pushback support team, the pilot and the co-pilot, as well as the air traffic controller, have been suspended from work pending an investigation.
CAAV has also established an investigation team comprising officials from various sectors such as aviation safety, airport management and aviation management, as well as officials from the Northern Airports Authority and the Noi Bai International Airport.
The National Traffic Safety Committee said although the incident caused no injuries or fatalities, it threatened aviation safety.
To avoid similar incidents in the future and ensure aviation safety, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, asked the Transport Ministry to work with relevant agencies and related parties to determine the cause of the incident.
The deputy prime minister demanded that businesses and agencies active in the aviation sector strictly comply with regulations on aviation safety and related vehicles, equipment, facilities and infrastructure.
