On the evening of November 4, air traffic controllers at Tan Son Nhat Airport reported that heavy rain had affected approaches for landing.
Heavy rain and strong winds began at the airport at around 7 p.m. Reduced visibility meant that several flights did not meet the safety conditions for landing.
According to Flightradar24 data, several aircraft were forced to fly holding patterns because of the bad weather. Flight VJ387 from Quy Nhon to Ho Chi Minh City held over the Mui Ne area before diverting to Cam Ranh Airport.
Flight HVN7121 from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City also flew five holding patterns over Lam Dong Province before landing at Tan Son Nhat.
That evening, Vietnam Airlines announced that thunderstorms had affected many flights to and from Tan Son Nhat Airport, requiring schedule changes or airborne holding.
Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces of Vietnam are entering the end of the rainy season. Heavy showers during this period are intense but short, so their effect on flights usually does not last long. Tan Son Nhat Airport has experienced several disruptions to air traffic during heavy rain this rainy season.
Air traffic controllers said the bad weather on the evening of November 4 lasted about 15 minutes. Because flights had accumulated, holding patterns continued for about an hour. Air traffic had become more open again by 8 p.m.
Tan Son Nhat currently handles about 700 flights a day, a medium level for this period. During the peak Tết season, the number usually exceeds 1,000 flights per day.
Sources: Dân Trí
