Vietnam aviation officials reprimanded in wake of incidents

Hanoi, January 16 (VNA) – The Vietnamese Transport Ministry and the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) have issued decisions to reprimand and dismiss several aviation officials responsible for errors that threatened flight safety in late 2014. Blamed for the November 20 power outage in Tan Son Nhat Airport’s Ho Chi Minh Area Control Centre, Head and Vice Head of the Southern Air Traffic Management Company (SATM)’s technical centre Le Van Tinh and Nguyen Quoc Phu were relieved of their posts. SATM Director Do Hoang Diep and Deputy Director Tran Cong were reassigned to other positions. Relating to an incident that caused a near collision between the Vietnam Airlines flight HVN 1376 and military aircraft MI 172/423 in Tan Son Nhat Airport on October 29, a number of officials at the SATM aerodrome control tower were reprimanded. The VATM seriously criticised SATM senior officials and 13 other individuals from the air traffic control and technical divisions, flight safety team, aerodrome control tower and technical guarantee centre. Earlier, Transport Minister Dinh La Thang signed decisions placing responsibility on Deputy Head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) Do Quang Viet, VATM Deputy Director General Nguyen Van Thang, and Head of CAAV Lai Xuan Thanh. He also issued a request for a serious review of the SATM board of members and directors for their responsibilities.-VNA