Coordination failure traps dozens of passengers in boarding bridge at Vietnam's busiest airport

By Phan Anh June 18, 2025 | 07:49 pm PT

A photo shared on Facebook by one of the affected passengers shows dozens of them trapped inside a boarding bridge at Tan Son Nhat Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, June 17, 2025.

A serious coordination failure between ground staff and door control personnel has been blamed for a mishap that left dozens of passengers stranded inside a boarding bridge at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat airport, Vietnam's busiest air hub.

According to a report submitted by the airport to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), the breakdown in communication occurred after Bamboo Airways flight QH191 arrived from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City shortly after midnight on June 15.

While passengers disembarked and proceeded through the jet bridge, the ground crew failed to alert the airport's door control unit to unlock the exit. As a result, passengers found themselves trapped behind a locked glass door with no staff in sight, local media reported.

The group remained confined in the enclosed corridor for nearly an hour, from 12:45 a.m. to 1:06 a.m. As the minutes dragged on, the lack of ventilation caused growing discomfort and frustration among travelers, according to posts and images shared online.

Airport officials acknowledged that poor communication protocols between Bamboo Airways’ ground crew and the airport’s door control team directly caused the incident.

The CAAV has since ordered the Southern Airport Authority and Tan Son Nhat International Airport to conduct an investigation and tighten operational procedures to prevent similar failures in the future.