HANOI – Check-in screens at Vietnam’s two major airports have been hacked to contain distorted information about the South China Sea and insult Vietnam and the Philippines, state media reports.

The sound systems at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City respectively were also affected on Friday afternoon, forcing airport authorities to switch off the check-in screen and sound system, the online VnExpress said.

The website of the national carrier, Vietnam Airlines, was also briefly hacked, it said.

Meanwhile, Vice Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat told Tuoi Tre newspaper that by 6pm local time, officials had stopped the hackers from attacking the systems at both airports.

He also said that competent agencies were looking into the incidents to identify their causes.

Earlier this month, an international tribunal issued a ruling in favour of the Philippines that invalidated China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

Vietnam also has overlapping claims to parts of the sea, which is rich in natural resources.

– with other agencies; AP, VnExpress, Tuoi Tre newspaper