It is common to see straw burning during the harvest season in fields of the communes of Thanh Xuan and Quang Tien which are located adjacent to Noi Bai International Airport.
The smoke has affected pilots’ vision.
A flight attempting to land at the airport on Monday afternoon faced significant haze. The runway is around one kilometre from the area where straw is burnt.
Straw burning often occurs in the communes in the late afternoon which is also the peak time for flights to land.
Piles of ash left on a field after straw burning
The straw-burning area in Thanh Xuan Commune is only 200 metres from the airport’s fence.
The Northern Airports Authority previously sent a written request to Soc Son District People’s Committee and its communes to take measures to prevent local residents from burning straw in the vicinity of the airport.