Flight operations at the two airports were halted from 11 pm on July 21 until noon on July 22. All scheduled flights during this period have been cancelled, and passengers will be rebooked on new itineraries once the airports reopen.
Air traffic control teams at Noi Bai Airport and Tho Xuan Airport in Thanh Hoa are also closely monitoring weather updates to adjust flight schedules as needed.
At a storm response meeting on July 21, airport representatives from affected areas reported plans to relocate aircraft to safe locations and reinforce airport infrastructure and ground equipment in preparation for potential impacts.
Deputy Director of the Civil Aviation Authority, Ho Minh Tan, called on all units to review and coordinate action plans to ensure absolute safety for passengers, aircraft, equipment and airport infrastructure.
Due to Typhoon Wipha, Vietnam Airlines cancelled five flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Haiphong on July 21, while Vietjet Air suspended eight flights to and from Quang Ninh and Haiphong. On July 22, flights operated by Vietnam Airlines Group from Cat Bi Airport will depart after 12 pm. A number of other domestic and international flights on July 21 and 22 are expected to be disrupted as well.
Speaking to Dantri/Dtinews at 6.40 am on July 22, Mai Van Khiem, Director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said the typhoon is expected to make landfall in the next 4 to 5 hours, hitting coastal provinces from Haiphong to Ninh Binh.
At landfall, the typhoon is forecast to sustain wind speeds of level 9 to 10 (75 to 102 km/h), with gusts up to level 13 (133 km/h). Inland areas including Haiphong, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa will experience strong winds at level 6, with gusts reaching level 7 to 8.