The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) recently submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Transport seeking approval for a system to detect foreign objects on runways in Hanoi and Saigon.
The upgrade, called Foreign Object Debris detection system (FODetect), will cost VND1.16 trillion (US$52 million) to install and will be funded by the Progressive Corporation International, a joint stock company formerly under the Ministry of Transport, according to VnExpress.
If the plan is approved, Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport and Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport will be outfitted with FODetect, automating the clearance process, reports Thanh Nien. Currently, airport staff are tasked with patrolling the runways seven times a day to remove foreign objects and wildlife hazards, including birds.
To cushion the cost of the installation, ACV proposed an increase in fees for both international and domestic flights, tacking on an additional US$35 and US$17, respectively, for the next six and a half years.
The proposal was shot down by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), who warned the Ministry of Transport about the plan’s hefty price tag. CAAV also pointed out that applying the additional fees to all airports in Vietnam is unreasonable when only Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat will reap the benefits.
An aviation expert who wished to remain anonymous told VnExpress that the proposal is “irrational” as the bird population around the two airports is minimal and most incidents of birds crashing into airplanes in Vietnam happen in mountainous areas such as the country’s Central Highlands.
[Photo via Business Insider]
