Passengers pass a Vietnam Airlines counter at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat Airport. Photo by Thanh Nien
The new regulation is included in Decree 92/2015 of the revised Law on Civil Aviation of Vietnam issued by the government on October 13 regarding civil aviation security.
Under the new decree, which will take effect on December 27, flying bans of three-to-12 months will be imposed on those who cause disturbances, fail to comply with decisions on administrative punishment in the field of civil aviation, make verbal threats to use bombs, other explosives, radioactive substances, and biological weapons in airport areas or on flights, use fake papers to take flights, among other things.
Longer bans, ranging from more than 12 months to 24 months, or permanent bans, will be given to repeat offenders, the decree said.
Under Article 11 of the decree, security officers will be equipped with appropriate weapons and support tools for use when necessary. The officers will be under the general control of the pilot.
Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority reported that there have been bomb or terrorism threats on local flights, but found no evidence. The agency reported 141 aviation security breaches in the first half of this year.
A Vietnam Airlines captain on July 13 refused to allow three passengers on board after a bomb scare at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport.
Two Australians, Prowse William James and Hansen Genevieve Mae, had reported to the airport security having overheard in the airport café Lexander John Lennart of Sweden say there was a bomb in his luggage.
The security team re-checked all belongings but found nothing unusual. The Australians were asked to make statements while the Swede was questioned. All three were released, but the pilot refused to allow them to board.
