After just a few minutes on the tarmac at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, ground service worker Tran Tuan Nguyen’s shirt was soaked in sweat.

Under the blazing midday sun, the heat radiating off the concrete and the hot air from aircraft engines and operating equipment made conditions almost unbearable.

From the aircraft parking bays, Nguyen and his colleagues continuously transported baggage and coordinated ground support equipment for departing and arriving flights.

Their workload has intensified as passenger numbers surge during the summer peak travel season.

“Even though the job is exhausting, we encourage each other to keep going because hundreds of passengers are waiting for safe and punctual flights,” Nguyen says.

Tran Tuan Nguyen, a ground service worker at Hanoi’s Noi Bai airport. Photo by Vietnam Airlines

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, many areas in northern and central Vietnam are experiencing severe heat, with temperatures commonly at 37-39 C and exceeding 40 C in some places.

But in the direct sunlight and with radiation off concrete surfaces, temperatures are usually much higher.

Conditions at airports are extremely harsh because of the concrete aprons.

Aircraft technicians also work continuously in the intense heat to inspect engines, landing gear, and electrical systems and conduct maintenance checks before each flight. Every procedure requires a high level of precision to ensure operational safety.

Cargo handlers face similar conditions with heat radiating from metal containers and tarmac surfaces.

Aviation security officers continue round-the-clock patrols across operational zones, while refueling crews and ground engineers maintain high-intensity outdoor work for hours at a time.

A ground service worker with sweat-soaked shirt on the tarmac of Noi Bai airport, Hanoi, May 25, 2026. Photo by Phan Cong

Pham Duc Minh, a technical operations employee at Noi Bai, says: “Despite prolonged extreme heat, every technical inspection, refueling process, and equipment monitoring task must be carried out accurately. Even a small mistake could affect an entire flight.”

To reduce the impact of the heat, aviation operators have increased drinking water supplies, arranged additional rest breaks, enhanced cooling measures at work stations, and adjusted operating schedules where possible.

A Vietnam Airlines spokesperson said that, during the summer peak season, aircraft turnaround times are shortened and passenger cabins are cooled before departure.

Ground service workers endure temperatures above 70 C at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi. Photo by Vietnam Airlines

Hanoi recorded a temperature of 40.7 C on Monday afternoon, the highest in the country.

In the Red River Delta and central provinces, eight provinces and cities recorded temperatures of more than 40 C.

Similar temperatures are expected until Thursday.