Vietjet Air began independently managing its ground services at Tan Son Nhat from April 20, 2025. However, according to CAAV, the airline’s initial implementation revealed numerous shortcomings, leading to delays across most flights on April 20 and 21, 2025. This situation has severely impacted aviation service quality and sparked passenger frustration.

Uong Viet Dung, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, explained that the extensive flight delays at Tan Son Nhat Airport were due to several reasons.

Firstly, Vietjet’s transition to self-managed ground services following the termination of its contract with Saigon Ground Services JSC (SAGS) created challenges in initial service delivery.

Secondly, Tan Son Nhat Airport has been adjusting its aircraft reception schedules to accommodate pilot training in preparation for Vietnam's major public holidays on April 30 and May 1. These changes have caused disruptions, triggering a domino effect on other flights.

In addition, adverse weather conditions at Noi Bai International Airport on the afternoon of April 21 affected several Vietjet flights to and from this airport, forcing operational changes.

To address these issues, CAAV has requested that Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company immediately allocate adequate personnel and equipment, specifically for passenger and baggage handling, in line with the agency’s approved plan for Tan Son Nhat Airport.

The authority also instructed the airline to develop and implement a coordination plan with other ground service providers at Tan Son Nhat to ensure all scheduled flights are properly serviced.

Vietjet is required to reassess its flight operations, aircraft turnaround times, and ground service durations to align with its internal ground handling capacity. The airline must also strictly comply with all regulations concerning carrier responsibilities and passenger rights in the event of delays, cancellations, or extended waits.

Moreover, Vietjet must ensure operational stability at Noi Bai Airport, especially in cases of internal staff reallocation.

The airline is further instructed to bolster its workforce and enhance training programs for ground service personnel across its entire network. It must fully implement and fairly enforce labor policies, particularly for front-line ground service employees responsible for passenger care.

CAAV has also directed the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV), Southern Airports Authority, and related units to assist Vietjet in the transition process to maintain smooth operations for travelers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

In response to the mass flight delays and cancellations that sparked public outrage, CAAV launched an inspection team on April 22 to review Vietjet's ground operations at Tan Son Nhat.

Also on April 22, Vietjet offered goodwill compensation via E-vouchers valued at 500,000 VND (approximately USD 20) for each affected passenger on domestic flights and 1,000,000 VND (about USD 40) for those on international flights. The policy applies to flights delayed by two hours or more on April 20 and 21, 2025.

N. Huyen