Vietnamese girl slapped with fine for smoking on flight

By Anh Duy   March 27, 2018 | 09:12 pm PT
Vietnamese girl slapped with fine for smoking on flight
A VietJet aircraft prepares for landing. Photo by Reuters/Kham
The 17-year-old said it was her first time flying and she did not know the rules.

Aviation authorities have fined a teenage girl VND2 million ($88) for smoking on a domestic flight despite repeated warnings from the crew.

The passenger, 17, was caught smoking in the toilet on a Vietjet flight from Hai Phong in northern Vietnam to the Dak Lak in the Central Highlands, officials said.

She claimed it was her first time flying and she did not know the rules.

Passengers are almost always reminded not to smoke before take-off, but some still try to have a sneaky puff in the toilets, where non-smoking warnings can be seen.

Vietnam has 15.6 million smokers, one of the highest numbers in the world.

Smoking is one of many cases reported recently of violations that have affected flight safety in Vietnam.

The country introduced a record 40-flight ban last year for passengers who smoke, fight or steal on flights, as its air travel industry reaches new heights.

Vietnamese airports served more than 94 million air passengers in 2017, up 16 percent from the previous year, including 13 million foreigners.

 
 
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