Circular 36/2014/TT-BGTVT on the quality of passenger services at airports

CIRCULAR

On the quality of passenger services at airports

Pursuant to the Vietnam Civil Aviation Law dated June 29, 2006;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 107/2012/ND-CP dated December 20, 2012, defining the functions, tasks, power and organizational structure of the Ministry of Transport;

At the proposal of the Director of the Transportation Department and the Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam,

The Minister of Transport hereby promulgates the Circular on the quality of passenger services at airports.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Circular regulates the minimum quality of passenger services at airports.

Article 2. Subjects of application

1. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and airport authorities.

2. The airlines, airport enterprises, ground technical-commercial service providers and non-aviation service providers at airports.

3. Organizations and individuals related to the quality of passenger services at airports.

Chapter II

REGULATIONS ON QUALITY OF PASSENGER SERVICES AT AIRPORTS

Section 1. REGULATIONS ON QUALITY OF PASSENGER SERVICES

Article 3. Functional areas at passenger terminals

1. Functional areas at passenger terminals include:

a) Areas where necessary procedures are carried out according to the passenger and baggage service processes;

b) Working areas of relevant state management agencies according to the operational function of terminals at airports;

c) Areas for passengers who are ineligible for entry for international airports;

d) Areas for lost baggage;

dd) General information counters or devices for passengers.

e) Areas of medical assistance and first aid to passengers;

g) Commercial and service areas;

h) Areas for airlines’ representatives at terminals.

2. Airport enterprises shall be responsible for ensuring the basic functional areas at passenger terminals as prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article.

Article 4. Development of passenger service process at airports

1. Airlines, airport enterprises, ground technical-commercial service providers shall be responsible for formulating, organizing the implementation and propagating the passenger service processes at airports.

2. A passenger service process at an airport must include the following basic contents:

a) Passenger services at the departure point;

b) Services of transporting passengers to aircraft;

c) Services for passengers of flights that are delayed, interrupted or cancelled;

d) Services for passengers using special service types;

dd) Services for passengers and baggage at destination and transit points.

3. Passenger service processes at airports and any modifications or supplementations (if any) must be sent to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam and regional airport authorities for monitoring.

Article 5. Passenger services at departure points

1. The airport enterprises shall be responsible for:

a) Ensuring the space area for the areas for carrying out procedures and traffic space of at least 1.2 m² for 01 passenger during peak hours according to the terminal’s operating limit;

b) Providing adequate number of check-in counters for airlines at the airports’ requests and in compliant with the infrastructure at terminals;

c) Providing full signage in Vietnamese and English (using electronic boards, screens or hanging boards) to display flight information, expected counter closing time; notice boards instructing passengers on dangerous goods and items that are not allowed to be carried on the person or in baggage on the aircraft, instructions on necessary documents when traveling by aircraft according to aviation security regulations at the check-in counters;

d) Meeting the floor area for the waiting area at the aircraft gate and the minimum circulation space of 0.6 m² for 01 passenger during peak hours according to the terminal's operating limit;

dd) Equipping the number of seats at the airport as follows: ensuring to meet at least 5% of the total number of passengers during peak hours according to the terminal's operating limit at the check-in area; ensuring to meet at least 70% of the total number of passengers during peak hours according to the terminal's operating limit at the aircraft waiting area; arranging separate seats for the elderly, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.

2. Airlines shall be responsible for:

a) Arranging a number of check-in counters for flights: ensuring not more than 25 passengers/1 counter for business class and not more than 40 passengers/1 counter for economy class. These regulations do not apply to airports applying the form of common check-in;

b) Providing information for airport enterprises in displaying information relating to the flights;

c) Arranging measuring and weighing frames for carry-on baggage for passengers at check-in counters and at departure gates;

d) Announcing and implementing the opening and closing of counters as follows: counter opening time for domestic flights and for international flights is 02 hours before the scheduled departure time and 03 hours before the scheduled departure time, respectively; counter closing time (end of accepting passengers) for domestic flights and international flights is 40 minutes before the scheduled departure time and 50 minutes before the scheduled departure time, respectively; in case of flight delay, the counter closing time can be postponed to correspond to the new departure time or the counter can be reopened according to the new departure time if deemed necessary;

dd) Arranging staff to assist passengers who have not completed procedures at the check-in area 10 minutes before the counter closes and informing security, immigration, and customs departments to assist passengers in completing procedures;

e) Prescribing in transportation regulations, publicizing the list of items restricted for transportation that are not on the list of dangerous items banned from transportation by air in accordance with law.

g) Issuing baggage tags and maintaining each passenger's checked baggage.

Article 6. Services of transporting passengers to the aircraft

1. The airlines shall be responsible for:

a) Providing regulations on service for passengers needing assistance, passengers who are disabled, sick, elderly, people traveling with children, pregnant women, children traveling alone without an accompanying person in the process of taking passengers to the aircraft.

b) Coordinating with airport enterprises and ground technical-commercial service providers to provide information at the boarding gate in Vietnamese and English about: flight information, boarding gate number, boarding time and boarding gate closing time, notice boards instructing passengers about dangerous goods and items that are not allowed to be carried on the person or in baggage on the aircraft.

c) Announcing and implementing the boarding gate closing time within 15 minutes prior to the estimated take-off hour.

d) Requesting the ground technical-commercial service provider to ensure the supply of vehicles to transport passengers from the boarding gate to the aircraft parking position based on the services provision contracts for flights that do not use passenger bridges with a distance from the aircraft exit to the aircraft parking position greater than 50 meters (m); arranging separate seats for the elderly, pregnant women, and disabled people on passenger cars from the terminal to the aircraft;

dd) Announcing and arranging staff to guide passengers and information board to change departure gate at the old departure gate for flights with changed departure gate.

2. Ground service staff must be present at the boarding gate and fully prepare equipment and tools for boarding passengers before announcing the reception of passengers to board the aircraft.

3. The representatives of airlines at the airport shall be responsible for monitoring the activity of taking passengers onto the aircraft.

Article 7. Passenger service for delayed, interrupted, or canceled flights

1. The airlines must provide information on flight status for airport enterprises, ground technical-commercial service providers; arrange staff to notify and organize the provision of services that passengers are entitled to according to regulations, and resolve passenger inquiries and needs based on actual situations and legal regulations.

2. In case of delayed flight or interrupted transportation as planned from 15 minutes or more, the airlines shall be responsible for:

a) Notifying the passengers of information related to the flights. To be specific: flight number, route; reasons for delayed flight or interrupted transportation, estimated take-off hour or alternative flight plan, passenger service plan and passenger assistance division (position, identification signs);

b) Apologizing to passengers.

3. In case the passengers whose seats have been confirmed on the flight but the transportation is delayed, interrupted or cancelled, the airlines shall be responsible for serving passengers in accordance with the following regulations:

a) Serving soft drinks, if the delayed time is from 02 hours;

b) Serving meals depending on point of time: from 06 to 08 am: breakfast; from 12 pm to 14 pm: lunch and from 19 to 21 pm: dinner, if the delayed time is from 03 hours or more;

d) Arranging the accommodation in accordance with the practical condition of locality or alternative solution if getting the passengers’ consent, in case the delayed time is from 06 hours or more (from 22:00 pm of the previous day to before 7:00 am of the following day).

dd) Changing the passengers’ route within the range of service supply of the airlines so that the passengers can reach their destination most quickly and conveniently.

4. The airlines shall be exempted from fulfilling their obligations prescribed in Points b, c, and d Clause 3 of this Article in the following cases:

a) The weather conditions affecting the safe operation of the flights;

b) The security risks affecting the safe operation of the flights;

c) The flights cannot be performed under the competent state agencies’ decisions, without the carrier’s fault.

5. The provision of services prescribed in this Article does not restrict the fulfillment of other obligations of the airlines when transporting passengers in in accordance with law.

6. The airport enterprises must organize or request the enterprises to provide catering services for passengers at the airport in cases of flight delays, interruptions, or cancellations in accordance with the actual conditions of the airport on the basis of the concession contract.

Article 8. Services for passengers using special types of services

1. The airlines are not allowed to collect charges for the following special services:

a) Wheelchair services at the terminal;

b) Services for passengers who are elderly, blind, or deaf.

2. Airlines must provide specific and clear information about the service process, rights, and obligations of passengers when passengers purchase tickets and need to use special services.

Article 9. Services for passengers at destination or transit point

1. The airlines shall be responsible for:

a) Providing passenger service content during temporary stops and transit flights in the passenger service process at destinations and transit points;

b) Arranging staff to care for and support elderly, disabled and wheelchair-using passengers;

c) Arranging staff, information counters and information boards to guide temporary stops and transfer passengers to carry out necessary procedures to continue the trip;

d) Ensuring the transportation of passengers according to the correct itinerary;

dd) Establishing division and area for settlement of complaint about their baggage at the airport and coordinating with the airport enterprises to ensure the recognizable instruction signboard system to such area.

2. The airport enterprises shall be responsible for:

a) Arranging the information and instruction signboard system in the terminal to guide passengers to check-in area, customs procedures area and baggage return area;

b) Arranging staff and conveyor belts to ensure baggage clearance for arriving flights as follows: for international flights, the first piece of baggage moves to the end of the conveyor belt within 20 minutes from the time it is transferred to the beginning of the conveyor belt, except in cases not due to the fault of the airport enterprise; for domestic flights, the first piece of baggage moves to the end of the conveyor belt within 10 minutes from the time it is transferred to the beginning of the conveyor belt, except in cases not due to the fault of the airport enterprise;

3. The ground technical-commercial service providers must arrange their staff and means of baggage transportation to ensure the first baggage must be moved to the head of conveyor belt within 15 minutes from the time of choking, except for cases through no fault of the ground technical-commercial service providers; the last baggage must be moved to the head of conveyor belt within 35 minutes from the time of choking, except for cases through no fault of the ground technical-commercial service providers;

Article 10. Basic services at the terminal

1. The airport enterprises shall be responsible for:

a) Fully providing equipment, signboard system, radio system giving flight information and other information to the passengers at terminals. Depending on the actual condition of airport, the airport enterprises must arrange one or many information counters with passenger assistance staff.

b) Arranging security check-in area at departure terminal, staff, and screening machines to ensure security check procedures including queuing time for a passenger do not exceed 15 minutes, except in special cases decided by the Ministry of Transport;

c) Immediately notifying the airline when discovering that the passenger's baggage contains items or goods that are restricted from being transported according to the airline's transportation regulations;

d) Arranging trolleys that fully and conveniently meet the needs of passengers;

dd) Organizing the traffic system and toilet areas to serve the disabled;

e) Ensuring hygiene, a civilized and clean environment in the departure and arrival terminals; the toilet system meeting the standards according to the design capacity of the terminal;

g) Arranging a separate area for smokers in the isolation area of ​​the terminal;

h) Arranging a free water counter in the isolation area in the departure and arrival terminals.

2. Airlines shall be responsible for providing information to airport businesses to display flight-related information in Vietnamese and English. Information includes the following contents: flight number, departure point, destination, check-in counter, estimated take-off and landing time, boarding gate for departure flights, baggage conveyor belt for arrival flights, information on delayed, interrupted, and canceled flights.

3. The ground technical-commercial service providers at airports must ensure the equipment meeting the need of use of wheelchair at the areas of departure and arrival terminal and have forklift truck for passenger using wheelchair onto the aircraft.

Article 11. Non-aviation services

1. The non-aviation service providers at airports shall be responsible for:

a) Listing price, publicizing the origin, food hygiene and safety at the recognizable place and complying with the relevant laws.

b) Ensuring the provision of essential goods and non-alcoholic beverages in quarantine areas at reasonable prices, consistent with the general price level of each airport.

2. Airport enterprises shall be responsible for arranging premises for enterprises providing non-aviation services at the airport according to the premises arrangement plan approved by competent agencies in accordance with laws.

Section 2. REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO ENTERPRISES AND STAFF OPERATING AT AIRPORTS

Article 12. Enterprises

1. Airlines, airport enterprises, ground technical-commercial service providers and non-aviation service providers at airports shall be responsible for issuing Regulations on labor discipline, including regulations on forms and levels of discipline for employees who violate regulations on attitude when directly in contact with passengers.

2. Units providing services prescribed in Clause 1 of this Article must provide uniforms for employees working at airports to distinguish them from aviation staff and passengers on aircraft.

Article 13. Employees operating at airports

1. Staff who directly contact passengers must be attentive, thoughtful, respectful and receptive, especially in resolving questions, complaints and comments from passengers about service quality during the provision of air transport services; calmly and resolutely handle passengers who behave excessively, cause disturbances and affect the activities of organizations and individuals operating at the airport.

2. Staff who directly contact passengers must wear uniforms appropriate to the characteristics and nature of the service provider; must wear employee badges during work and security control badges when working in restricted areas of the airport.

Chapter III

IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

Article 14. Responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam

1. To organize the implementation of this Circular and report to the Ministry of Transport on the implementation of Circular.

2. To inspect and request the implementation of passenger service process at airports as prescribed in Article 4 of this Circular.

3. Every 06 months, to review and announce the units failing to meet the regulations on service quality as prescribed by this Circular; to direct the airport enterprises to review and arrange the plan for allocation of non-aviation service business space to ensure the general space area for passengers as prescribed in this Circular.

4. To strictly handle enterprises failing to meet requirements of this Circular.

Article 15. Responsibility of airport authorities

1. To organize the implementation of this Circular.

2. To monitor the compliance with service quality by airports and service providers according to the passenger service process prescribed in Article 4 of this Circular.

3. To directly monitor all cases of delayed, interrupted or cancelled flights in order to promptly request airlines and relevant service providers to fulfil their obligations as prescribed by law.

4. To arrange staff, set up and announce the hotline to remove problems and deal with disputes occurring between passengers with airlines or service providers at airports and send reports on handling results to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

Article 16. Effect

This Circular takes effect from December 1, 2014.

Article 17. Implementation responsibility

Chief of Ministry Office, Chief of Ministry Inspector, Directors, Directors General of Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, Heads of relevant agencies, organizations and individuals shall implement this Circular./.