PM issues order to ensure flight safety
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued an urgent notice on ensuring flight safety following incidents of laser lights that distract or temporarily blind pilots during take-off and landing.
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He asked the Ministries of Public Security, Transport and National Defence, and authorities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Haiphong, Can Tho and Khanh Hoa to coordinate with airports and air traffic control stations to actively discover and prevent such incidents.
The Ministry of Public Security was requested to clarify the purpose and motive behind such cases that have happened since February while the Ministry of Information and Communications will instruct media agencies to popularise legal regulations on flight safety and raise public awareness of the danger of using laser lights in airspace.
Ministries and localities were also assigned to report the outcomes of performing the above tasks to the Prime Minister.
During June, Hanoi police discovered four incidents involving laser lights directed at Noi Bai airport, but the source of only one of the cases were identified.
The laser came from the stage light of a mobile circus show held on June 2 at a stadium in Soc Son district’s Thuy Huong village, about 3.5km as the crow flies from the airport.
The circus immediately turned off the light for fear of threatening aviation safety.
Two of the four recorded incidents of laser lights this month included Vietnam Airlines flight VN1554, departing from the central province of Khanh Hoa on June 12, and Vietjet Air flight VJ174 from Ho Chi Minh City.
Another Vietnam Airlines flight, VN7168, departing from the central city of Danang on June 11, also detected a laser light about 40km from Noi Bai airport.
