Vietnam’s aviation authorities have imposed a nine-month ban on a Vietnamese man after he failed to pay a fine for smoking on a domestic flight.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said on Thursday that 72-year-old Le Quoc T., hailing from northern Ha Nam Province, has been banned from domestic and international flights for nine months.

T. smoked on flight VJ 464, operated by low-cost carrier Vietjet Air, on which he occupied the 28D seat, from southern Can Tho City to Hanoi on June 5.

The flight ban against T. will take effect from July 8 to the end of April 7, 2023.

T. was escorted from the plane upon its arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in the Vietnamese capital city at 5:00 pm on June 5 before being handed over to the Northern Airports Authority (NAA), which then issued an administrative fine for him.

Despite several reminders and warnings, he refused to pay the fine.

Smoking cigarettes, even electronic ones, is banned on all inbound and outbound flights in Vietnam.

Administrative fines imposed on violators, which range from VND3-5 million (US$128.7-214.5), must be paid within ten days since the punitive decision is made.

Although passengers are always reminded of the smoking ban, it remains among the most popular violations reported in the country's recent flights.

On Thursday this week, a passenger was caught smoking on flight from Seoul in South Korea to Cam Ranh International Airport in south-central Khanh Hoa Province.

A day before, a flight attendant found a passenger named Duong Van Th. smoking on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi at 3:45 pm.

At 8:40 pm on June 24, the security force at Tan Son Nhat International Airport enforced escort on a passenger named Nguyen Van Nh. for smoking on a flight from north-central Thanh Hoa Province to Ho Chi Minh City.

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