In the first 9 months of the year, thousands of flights were canceled due to storms.

VTV.vn - Airlines had to cancel 1,380 flights in the first 9 months of the year, equivalent to 0.7% of the total number of flights, of which bad weather was the common cause.

Storms and rains raged, in the first 9 months of 2025, up to 1,380 flights were canceled

Vietnam’s aviation industry is facing a major challenge from extreme weather. The latest statistics show that in the first nine months of 2025, nearly 1,400 domestic flights were canceled, with the industry’s on-time performance (OTP) rate reaching only 64.6%. Bad weather, especially continuous rain and storms, was identified as the most common cause of these disruptions.

More than 1,380 flights "stuck" due to storms

According to preliminary data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, from January to September 2025, the entire domestic aviation industry carried out 210,341 flights. However, only 135,922 flights took off on time, resulting in the average on-time performance (OTP) rate of the entire industry stopping at only 64.6%.

The industry-wide cancellation rate in the first nine months of the year was 0.7%, equivalent to 1,380 flights being removed from the operating schedule. In particular, extreme weather such as heavy rain, strong winds and storms and floods were identified by airlines as the leading factors causing this disruption. Decisions to cancel or adjust flights are all aimed at the ultimate goal of absolute safety for passengers.

The picture of airline exploitation

The impact of weather and other operational factors has created a clear differentiation picture in on-time performance and cancellations among airlines in the first 9 months of 2025:

Data source: Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

It can be seen that only two airlines, Bamboo Airways (82.1%) and VASCO (81.8%) maintained an OTP rate of over 80%. Meanwhile, Vietjet Air recorded the lowest on-time rate in the industry, reaching only 55%.

Regarding flight cancellations, despite recording high OTP, Vietnam Airlines (0.8% - 698 flights) and VASCO/Vietravel Airlines (1.2%) still have a cancellation rate higher than the industry average. In contrast, Bamboo Airways is the airline with the fewest cancellations, with only 0.2% of flights.

Extreme weather: A never-ending challenge

The late September and early October 2025 months were the clearest evidence of the weather’s impact. Storm circulation caused prolonged heavy rains at many airports in the Northern and North Central regions.

Bad weather in the northern region has affected many flights since late September.

At Noi Bai International Airport, heavy rain accompanied by wind shear and visibility reduced to less than 1 km forced a series of flights to switch to circling mode or be forced to divert to an alternate airport.

According to the Northern Airports Authority, on September 30 alone, 194 flights were delayed and 34 flights had to be diverted due to bad weather conditions, causing major disruption to the schedules of thousands of passengers.

Aviation industry proactively responds

Faced with this situation, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam immediately directed airports in the affected areas to be on duty 24/7, ensuring navigation and communication equipment is always ready. At the same time, the Authority also requested to increase the application of high-resolution weather forecasting models to promptly detect and warn flight crews about thunderstorms and strong winds.

On the airlines side, proactivity is highly appreciated. Airlines have quickly adjusted flight schedules and increased timely information to passengers through many channels such as websites, mobile applications, SMS messages and social networks. This helps passengers to proactively arrange their personal schedules when flights are affected.

Aviation experts say: Although the rate of on-time flights may be reduced due to natural disasters, the efforts of the Vietnamese aviation industry to operate flights safely and professionally in harsh weather conditions have demonstrated its determination to achieve the goal of absolute safety for passengers and stable operations.

Source: https://vtv.vn/9-thang-dau-nam-hang-nghin-chuyen-bay-bi-huy-do-mua-bao-100251007161120486.htm