Two air traffic controllers in Hai Phong have been suspended, one for sleeping on the job, the other for abandoning his post.
According to Zing, two flights were unable to make contact with Cat Bi Airport’s air traffic control center on the night of March 9. The pilot aboard Seoul-bound flight VJ921 attempted to make contact with air traffic control 29 times between 10:51pm and 11:24pm but received no response. At 11:41pm, the flight was eventually granted permission to take off, the news outlet reports.
Another flight from Saigon attempted to land at Cat Bi Airport but could not reach air traffic control between 11:14pm and 11:38pm, according to the flight report. The aircraft was given the go-ahead to land at 11:39pm.
As a result of these incidents, air traffic controllers Nguyen Van Chanh and Luong Thi Minh Thu have both been given a two-month suspension as well as a VND7.5 million (US$330) fine each, reports Tuoi Tre.
In its initial findings, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) told media outlets that Chanh went missing from his post between 9:40pm on the night of March 9 and 5:40am the following morning. Chanh’s colleague, Thu, was asleep from approximately the time Chanh left until 11:15pm.
The CAAV labelled the loss of contact a result of human error and has vowed to investigate the incident further, reports Tuoi Tre. In the meantime, the head of the Cat Bi air traffic control center has also been suspended. An experienced Hanoi official will temporarily step into the role, while two other air traffic controllers have also been transferred to Hai Phong to replace the suspended workers.
[Photo via An Ninh Hai Phong]
