Northern airports closing as Storm Talim approaches

At the order of the Northern Airports Authority, Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport in the capital city will stop all arrivals and departures from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, while Cat Bi Airport in Hai Phong and Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh will halt all flights from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

The coastal localities of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong will likely be directly affected by the storm, while inland Hanoi will be affected less.

According to the request of the Northern Airports Authority, airlines and related parties must remain on duty 24 hours during the closures in order to adjust flight plans.

Van Don and Cat Bi Airports will need to shelter all aircraft, and likely move at least some of them to other locations.

National carrier Vietnam Airlines has canceled five flights between HCMC and Hai Phong, plus two fights between Da Nang and Hai Phong.

In addition, other flights were rescheduled to Wednesday or after 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Vietnam Airlines also moved a flight from Hai Phong to HCMC at 6:35 a.m. on Tuesday to 11 p.m. on Monday.

Other airlines are also adjusting flight plans at the request of authorities.

Due to the long-lasting effects of the storm, it’s recommended that passengers who are planning to travel to and from airports in storm-affected areas regularly check updated weather and other information released by airlines.

By 4 p.m. on Monday, storm Talim was moving closer than 400 km from Mong Cai Town in Quang Ninh with winds of 133 kph. It’s expected to enter the Northeast region of Vietnam by 4 p.m. Tuesday before weakening into a tropical depression on Wednesday.