Seven flights of low-cost airline Vietjet Air were cancelled on April 29 after a plane of this carrier was hit by a bird last night, according to a Vietjet Air spokesperson.

Seven flights cancelled due to bird strike during holiday.

The bird bumped into a wing of a Vietjet Air plane, coded VN-A673, that was en route from Cam Ranh Airport in central Khanh Hoa province to Cat Bi Airport in northern Hai Phong City on April 28 night. 

To ensure safety, the aircraft had to make emergency landing for a checkup and repair, leading to a series of flight cancellations and rescheduling on April 29.

The seven flights cancelled include VJ271 from Hai Phong to Ho Chi Minh City, VJ128 from HCM City to Hanoi, VJ139 from Hanoi to HCM City, VJ214 and VJ215 from HCM City to Vinh (Nghe An) and vice versa, VJ116 from HCM City to Hanoi, and VJ163 from Hanoi to HCM City. More than 10 others had to be rescheduled.

Vietjet Air has offered assistance to affected passengers to minimise impacts on them and provided them with updates on the flight schedules via calls, texts and hotline 1900 1886.

The spokesperson said bird strikes occur frequently in the air transport, causing heavy damages for the airlines. But safety of passengers is always the top priority, the spokesperson stressed.

The incident happened during the ongoing public holiday to mark the National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) from April 28 – May 2.

To serve the surge in travel demand in one of the biggest holiday of the year, Vietjet Air added 200 flights, with 46,000 seats, to both domestic and international popular tourism destinations.-VNA