Services at Hanoi-based Noi Bai International Airport have significantly improved, Deputy Director of the Northern Airports Authority Nguyen Ngoc Son said after conducting an unscheduled inspection in the last day of July.

Son said that 40 seats had been installed in the boarding lobby to serve passengers and more than 110 would soon be placed in the waiting lounge.

Additionally, free water tanks were recently set up in domestic and international terminals.

Passengers have complained about the high price of water sold at counters in the lobby, saying it was equivalent to the cost at a five-star hotel. They were forced to buy water at the counters as they were not allowed to take water past security.

After two negotiations with service suppliers at the airport, the price of food and drinks was adjusted to "reasonable levels". Prices must also be listed to avoid rip-offs.

The airport has publicised a hotline for passengers to report any difficulties or complaints.

Son said staff told him passengers sometimes complained about the accuracy of scales. Airport representatives said they would check on the problem.

The number of delayed or cancelled flights remarkably decreased, he said. Between July 13 and 29, 25 flights were delayed and 51 were cancelled due to bad weather. Technical faults delayed 23 flights, while nine others were cancelled.

The inspection team also found that ten flights were cancelled due to commercial reasons.

Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Deputy Director of Noi Bai International Airport, said the airport would address the shortcomings mentioned in the inspection team's report.

Last month, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam found service shortcomings at the country's three international airports (Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat and Da Nang) that could cause delays and cancellations.-VNA