Scorching heat, with surface temperatures in the airside areas of Noi Bai International Airport reaching 61°C, has not discouraged the airport's dedicated employees. Working tirelessly under extreme conditions, they continue racing against time to meet operational deadlines and ensure flight safety.

While Hanoi continues to experience an intense heatwave, with air temperatures forecast to reach 39–40°C in some areas, surface temperatures at Noi Bai International Airport have reached as high as 61°C on certain days.

The vast concrete surfaces of aircraft aprons, taxiways and runways absorb and retain heat, making the entire airside area feel like an enormous scorching pan.

The hotter the weather becomes, the harder airport employees must work to ensure that all construction, repair and maintenance activities in airside areas are completed on schedule, before the arrival of rain, thunderstorms or storms disrupt operations.

Aircraft patrols and security monitoring, inspections of communication and navigation equipment, maintenance of pavement markings and airfield signage, grass cutting, foreign object debris (FOD) collection, and drainage channel clearance in preparation for the rainy season are among the essential tasks that must be carried out regularly, regardless of weather conditions.

In addition, the summer of 2021 has been an exceptionally quiet period for the aviation industry in general and Noi Bai International Airport in particular due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Numerous aircraft have remained parked at Noi Bai International Airport because of reduced passenger demand, placing additional pressure on aircraft stand allocation, security monitoring and aircraft guarding operations.

During the pandemic, although numerous flights have been cancelled, the workload in airside areas has not decreased. On the contrary, employees have often had to work additional shifts.

This is because construction, repairs, pavement patching and other maintenance activities in airside areas can only be carried out when there are no aircraft takeoffs, landings or other aircraft movements in the affected areas.

Furthermore, under the assignment from the Ministry of Transport, Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) and Noi Bai International Airport (NIA) have been providing technical support for the project to rehabilitate and upgrade the airport's runways and taxiways.

The airport is responsible for quality supervision and technical assistance during equipment installation, ensuring that construction activities do not interfere with existing systems and equipment supporting flight operations.

As a result, both the volume and frequency of work have increased considerably.

In particular, the Noi Bai Airside Operations Center has been urgently supporting contractors in completing the installation of equipment systems before June 30, 2021, to meet the schedule for flight inspection and calibration of the Category II (CAT II) systems associated with Runway 11R/29L.

Given the critical importance of aviation safety, every task must be carried out with absolute care and precision, leaving no room for even the slightest oversight.

A visit to the airside areas during these scorching summer days offers a deeper understanding of what airport employees experience under the intense heat of the airfield.

It also reveals the dedication and perseverance of Noi Bai's workforce — people who quietly carry out their responsibilities, overcoming challenging conditions to ensure that every flight is operated safely and efficiently.

Their tireless efforts contribute to maintaining Noi Bai International Airport's reputation as a safe and reliable aviation gateway.