Vietnam suspends two foreign pilots after VietJet plane skids off runway
- The Airbus A321neo plane was carrying 217 passengers and was arriving from the tourist island of Phu Quoc
- Authorities blame bad weather, as Vietnam was battered by heavy rain over the weekend
The aircraft, which was arriving from the tourism island of Phu Quoc, skidded off the runway at Tan Son Nhat International Airport soon after noon on Sunday due to heavy rain and a tailwind, VietJet said in a statement.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam have also seized the licences of the two pilots, pending the investigation into the incident, the official Vietnam News Agency reported. Flight recorders and flight data will be analysed.
Six crew members of Flight VJ322 were also suspended, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. The names and nationalities of the two pilots were not disclosed, according to VN Express.
“The airplane, passengers and crew are all safe,” VietJet said in the statement. “All passengers were disembarked and transferred to the airport’s arrival terminal as normal.” The plane was carrying 217 passengers.