The Northern Airports Authority has fined a Vietnamese passenger VND10 million (US$470) for opening an emergency exit door while he was on board a Vietnam Airlines airplane that was about to take off from Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport on Monday. 

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Tran Van Binh, of northern Thai Binh Province, was caught by flight attendants when the plane was taxiing from its parking area to the runway to fly to the Central Highlands city of Pleiku on April 14. When seeing Binh opening the door, the flight attendants closed it immediately, preventing the escape slide from being released from the emergency exit. They then reported the incident to the plane’s captain, who decided to pilot the plane back to its parking place and called Vietnam Airlines operation center officials at the airport for assistance. Center technicians were afterward deployed to examine the exit door and the escape slide to ensure their safety conditions. Due to the incident, the plane took off 90 minutes behind schedule. When questioned about why he opened the emergency door, Binh answered he simply wanted to have some more fresh air, as the plane’s air-conditioning system failed to provide enough coolness for him. Binh admitted that he had no knowledge of emergency exit doors as well as regulations on flight safety. For his dangerous act, he got a fine of VND10 million (US$470) from the Northern Airports Authority. Some similar door-opening incidents have previously been recorded when passengers, who were ignorant of flight safety standards like Binh, opened emergency exit doors while they were aboard other Vietnam Airlines airplanes. On February 14, 2012, Le Van Thuan, 29, was caught attempting to push open an emergency exit door of a Vietnam Airlines plane when flight VN1265 was taxiing on the runway of Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City. According to a report, when the flight crew announced a safe landing, Thuan suddenly pressed the "Open" button on the door, causing it to open and the escape slide to be released. Thuan later explained he just meant to get outside as quickly as possible since he was annoyed by a baby crying nearby.

Therefore, he opened the door although he had been reminded by the flight crew and ground personnel staff not to do so.

Thuan was fined VND15 million ($711) for his offense. After the incident, Vietnam Airlines had to bring the plane abroad for the escape slide to be repacked into its original compartment. Another case occurred in November 2011 when a 22-year-old Vietnamese college student, who claimed he was a first-time flyer, was fined the same amount for committing the same act, also at Tan Son Nhat.

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