Vietnam plans to reopen int’l flights in August

The Ministry of Transport has sent a proposal to the Prime Minister to consider the reopening of regular international commercial flights between Vietnam and other countries with one flight a week to one destination from August.
Vietnamese people return home on a repatriation flight in Van Don Airport. (Photo: SGGP)
Vietnamese people return home on a repatriation flight in Van Don Airport. (Photo: SGGP)
According to the ministry, foreign carriers, such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways, China Airlines, Asiana Airlines, and Korean Air have resumed their air routes to Vietnam since June and July.
The offer only applies to frequency flights transporting goods into Vietnam; carrying passengers and cargo from Vietnam to other countries; bringing diplomatic representatives, disadvantaged citizens, experts, and skilled workers into the nation in line with COVID-19 prevention and control regulations.
There are some difficulties in reopening a frequency of international commercial flights bringing visitors into Vietnam, such as the shortage of pilots and flight attendants who are required to go into a 14-day paid period of quarantine after arriving, a temporary closure of a runway to repair a severely downgraded other, said the Ministry of Transport.
In addition, the Ministry of Health has not launched guidelines on medical examination to international arrivals to the country to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) yet. The reopening international routes will also depend on the cooperation and permission of partner countries.
As planned, there will be one flight a week to one destination of countries and territories from August. It is estimated that the nation will receive around 2,500-3,000 passengers per week, not including repatriation flights, the Ministry of Transport suggested.
The ministry will organize working sessions with partners of China, Japan, South Korea, Laos and Cambodia to implement first regular flights in the early August. Accordingly, flights from China’s Guangzhou to Vietnam will land at Da Nang Airport, from Japan’s Tokyo and RoK’s Seoul to Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi; from Taipei of Taiwan (China) to Tan Son Nhat Aiport in HCMC; from Laos’ Vientiane to Van Don Airport in Quang Ninh Province; from Phnom Penh of Cambodia to Can Tho Airport.

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