The late arrival of planes before they are dispatched for return services is the significant cause behind the flight delays and cancelations across Vietnam in July, a chief aviation official said Thursday.

If a plane lands late, it will affect the schedule of the return flight using the same aircraft.

“Such a reason caused 59 to 62 percent of the flight delays and cancelations last month,” Vo Huy Cuong, deputy head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), said after a meeting at Hanoi-based Noi Bai International Airport.

The improper equipment to serve the flights is the culprit in around 10 percent of the cases, Cuong said.

“There were few delays or cancelations caused by technical problems or foul weather,” he added.

The official admitted, however, that even though the causes are identified, it is uncertain if the airlines will be able to properly reduce late arrivals.

Also on Thursday, air carriers Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, and Jetstar Pacific met in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss solutions to prevent flight delays and cancelations.

The carriers unanimously called on the CAAV to allow them to let passengers board their flights and the airplanes to refill fuel simultaneously to save time.

Passengers are currently only allowed to get on the aircraft once it has been refilled with fuel.

The airline also said they should be permitted to hand over the flight plan online, instead of having their pilots do so directly at the flight procedure office.

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