Vietnamese airport fined for closing terminal to host badminton tournament

An airport in central Vietnam has been fined VND35 million ($1,563) after an investigation found part of it had been shut down to host a badminton tournament for employees last week.

Dong Hoi Airport in Quang Binh Province said the badminton tournament was an early celebration for the March 26 founding anniversary of the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union on Monday last week. The game was held at the department's waiting lounge from 7:55 a.m. and the passenger terminal was closed until 10 a.m.

Passengers on a domestic flight which landed at 9 a.m. were sent to a restricted part of the airport, together with their luggage.

Le Dang Bac, chief inspector of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, said in a Wednesday statement that the airport was in violation of the law for halting service without permission from relevant authorities.

Dong Hoi Airport was built by the French in the 1930s, serving in the First Indochina War by delivering weapons and ammunitions. The facility covers 173 hectare coastal area.

Vietnam’s aviation industry served 94 million passengers in 2017, up 16 percent against 2016.