1,000 security personnel to guard Tan Son Nhat Airport for Obama

“To ensure the safety of Obama and his delegation, airport security staff will be on patrol 24/7. Everyone will be working, except those who are sick or have had a death in the family,” an officer who refused to be named told VnExpress.

A strict screening process at Tan Son Nhat Airport will be applied for even children and the elderly. Passengers’ shoes and belts will be checked and spot inspections of suspicious passengers will be carried out.

Police will be stationed outside the airport to monitor passengers going in and out.

Anyone who stops in the parking bays for more than three minutes will be checked, and people displaying unusual behavior such as passengers without luggage will be tightly monitored by security forces.

The U.S. president arrives at Noi Bai Airport on May 23. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

The U.S. has also asked Vietnam to delay all civilian flights scheduled to take off before and after Obama arrives at the airport by at least one hour, an unnamed source told VnExpress. Further information is yet to be confirmed.

U.S. security forces have already surveyed the destinations and routes Obama plans to use during his time in the city.

The president will fly to Ho Chi Minh City this afternoon and pay a visit to the 100-year-old Ngoc Hoang (Jade Emperor) Pagoda in the city center.

Following that, he will meet with young Vietnamese entrepreneurs where he will discuss the benefits of the TPP for both Vietnam and the U.S. in promoting growth, job creation and higher labor and environmental standards.

Tomorrow, the president will host a town hall with members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.