Airlines adjust flights as Storm Ragasa to make landfall

By Doan Loan September 24, 2025 | 06:01 pm PT

Vietnam Airlines and several other carriers adjusted multiple flights on Thursday at the airports of Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, and Da Nang to ensure passenger safety ahead of Storm Ragasa's landfall.

Vietnam Airlines announced that flights to and from Tho Xuan Airport in Thanh Hoa will be rescheduled to the 10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. window.

Six flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Tho Xuan — VN7270, VN7271, VN7274, VN7275, VN7278, and VN7279 — have been canceled.

At Hai Phong's Cat Bi Airport, most flights will only operate after 6 p.m. Flight VN1176 from Ho Chi Minh City to Cat Bi has been moved to 4:30 p.m., while flight VN1177 from Cat Bi to Ho Chi Minh City is now set for 7:05 p.m.

Pacific Airlines rescheduled flight BL6440 from HCMC to Hai Phong to 9:15 p.m. and BL6441 from Hai Phong to HCMC to 11:55 p.m. Several Da Nang–Cat Bi services were also adjusted, including flights VN1670 to depart at 5 p.m. and VN1671 at 6:55 p.m.

A Vietnam Airlines aircraft in Hanois Noi Bai Airport. Photo coutersy of the airport

A Vietnam Airlines aircraft moves amid heavy rain in Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport. Photo courtesy of the airport

The airlines warned that many other domestic and international routes could be affected by knock-on disruptions. Passengers are advised to keep seat belts fastened throughout flights, even when the signal is off, to reduce risks from turbulence.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has ordered all units to remain on 24-hour duty and strictly follow procedures for storm and tropical depression preparedness in aviation operations.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Ragasa has gradually weakened as it approached Vietnam's northern coast.

At 7 a.m. on Thursday, the storm lay 100 km east of Mong Cai Town in Quang Ninh Province and is expected to bring winds of 61–74 kph to the region along with heavy rains. After battering Guangdong Province and the Leizhou Peninsula in China overnight, Ragasa has weakened by four levels.

The storm is forecast to move west at 20 kph Thursday, traveling along the Guangdong coast before entering the Gulf of Tonkin. Around noon, it is expected to make landfall in Mong Cai, packing maximum winds of 74 kph.

By 4 p.m., Ragasa will weaken into a tropical depression over the northeast region. By 4 a.m. Friday, the system is forecast to further weaken into a low-pressure area over Vietnam's northwest region.