Vietnam Airlines has temporarily suspended two flight crews comprising four pilots following a collision between two of the airline's aircraft at Noi Bai International Airport.

The suspension began on the afternoon of June 27 and will remain in effect until a full investigation clarifies the cause of the incident.

In response to the incident, Vietnam Airlines has established an independent investigation team to determine and assess the cause. This team will work in parallel with the official investigation led by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV). The airline is also cooperating closely with aviation authorities to ensure the matter is thoroughly examined.

The CAAV has classified the collision as a Level B serious incident - second highest on the five-tier aviation safety scale. Such incidents represent major safety violations and often lead to temporary closures of runways, taxiways, or even entire airports.

As previously reported by VietNamNet, the incident occurred at 2:00 p.m. on June 27 at Noi Bai International Airport, when two aircraft collided while taxiing on the ground.

The aircraft with registration number VN-A863, operating flight VN7205 from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, struck the tail of another aircraft, VN-A338, which was stationed and preparing for flight VN1804 from Hanoi to Dien Bien.

The collision caused significant damage: the Boeing 787 suffered damage to the tip of its right wing, while the Airbus A321 sustained a tear on its vertical stabilizer. Both aircraft have been grounded pending technical inspection.

Initial findings from the Northern Airports Authority indicate that the Airbus bound for Dien Bien may have been incorrectly positioned at the S3 taxiway hold point, contributing to the accident.

N. Huyen