Impending Storm Damrey forces Vietnamese airlines to ground flights

By Staff reporters   November 3, 2017 | 03:32 am PT
Passengers are advised to check the latest weather reports and updates from local operators.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and low-cost airline Vietjet have canceled flights to and from Cam Ranh International Airport in the central province of Khanh Hoa and the Central Highland's resort town of Da Lat due to the looming storm Damrey.

Vietnam Airlines has canceled 8 flights between Cam Ranh and Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City as well as two flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat. The flights are being rescheduled for Sunday.

Vietjet has also canceled a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Cam Ranh, three flights from Cam Ranh to Ho Chi Minh City, a flight from Cam Ranh to Hanoi, and international flights connecting South Korea and China with Cam Ranh. Services will be resumed as soon as the weather permits.

“Passengers planning to travel to or from Cam Ranh, Quy Nhon, Tuy Hoa, Da Lat, Pleiku or Buon Ma Thuot at this time should keep a close eye on weather conditions and company notices to adjust their schedules accordingly,” a representative from Vietnam Airlines said.

Meanwhile, Saigon Railways has said it is monitoring the storm but has made no changes to its schedules.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control has banned all ships from sailing north, and banned all hydrofoils on the Saigon-Vung Tau route and boat restaurants from operating.

The south-central province of Binh Thuan has suspended its Phan Thiet-Phu Quy sea route.

In the central province of Quang Ngai, ferries to Ly Son Island have also been suspended and tourists have been evacuated from the island.

As of Friday noon, more than 4,200 tourists were still visiting islands off the coast of Khanh Hoa Province, over half of whom were foreigners. The tourists have been told to stay put as the storm approaches.

On Friday morning, Damrey was 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Vietnam’s south-central coast between the provinces of Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan. That distance is forecast to narrow to 170km by Friday night.

The storm will make landfall on Saturday afternoon with wind speeds of 100-135kph, weather forecasters said.

 
 
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