Safe operation of humanitarian relief flights to flood-hit areas

Faced with the serious flood situation caused by storm No. 11 in Cao Bang, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen provinces and many mountainous areas in the North, road traffic was cut off, many areas were isolated and deeply flooded, Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) urgently directed its affiliated units, especially the Northern Air Traffic Management Company, to closely coordinate with the Air Defense - Air Force Service in ensuring absolute safety for humanitarian relief flights.

Pilots transfer goods from helicopters to locations in Van Nham and Yen Binh communes ( Lang Son province) isolated by floods. Photo: VNA

On October 8 alone, VATM flight operations units coordinated effectively to ensure safety for 14 takeoffs and landings of helicopter flights transporting relief goods from Hoa Lac, Kep and Gia Lam airports to isolated areas in Cao Bang , Thai Nguyen and Lang Son.

Flights conducted by the 918th Air Brigade and the 916th Air Regiment carried dozens of tons of essential goods including food, medicine, clean water, life jackets and necessities, transported to areas that ground vehicles could not reach due to rising floodwaters.

In conditions of deep flooding and bad weather, many flights were forced to drop cargo from the air, requiring coordination and navigation information to be carried out accurately and absolutely safely.

According to VATM, units have proactively deployed and coordinated synchronously between regional Air Traffic Control Centers, aviation meteorological agencies, and Flight Command Boards at Hoa Lac, Kep, and Gia Lam airports to ensure safety and smooth operation for these special flights.

Air traffic controllers at the Hanoi Area Control Center (ACC Hanoi), the Approach Control Center - at Noi Bai Airport (APP Noi Bai) and forward flight control stations always keep abreast of the actual situation, continuously update meteorological information and air traffic conditions, coordinate flexible air traffic flows, and provide maximum support to flight crews in conditions of heavy rain, low clouds and limited visibility.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/dieu-hanh-an-toan-cho-cac-chuyen-bay-cuu-tro-nhan-dao-toi-vung-lu-20251010150954439.htm