Many domestic flights cancelled due to smoke from straw burning
VOV.VN - At least eight domestic flights to the city of Dien Bien in the north-western region have been cancelled or forced to turn around due to thick smoke from straw burning.
Bamboo Airways reported low visibility forced the airline to cancel three flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Dien Bien on March 24.
Another Bamboo Airways flight QH1591 from Ho Chi Minh City to Dien Bien was forced to be diverted and land at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi where passengers took a bus to continue their journey to Dien Bien.
Meanwhile, the Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), an affiliate of the Vietnam Airlines Group, cancelled four flights from Hanoi to Dien Bien, reasoning visibility was worsening in the north-western city.
Planes could not land at Dien Bien airport due to a lack of visibility there, VASCO said in a statement, adding affected passengers would check their flight status and get support from the airline in accordance with applicable laws and policies.
Burning post-harvest rice straw is a common occurrence in rural areas of Vietnam. Due to thick smoke in the air, many flights are forced to cancel, circle to land or turn around.