In an effort to assist Vietnamese citizens stuck in foreign countries currently ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, aviation authorities have organized more than a dozen outbound flights that will take place in the near future.
Recently, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) sent a document to relevant government agencies about the repatriation of Vietnamese citizens, as requested by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thanh Nien reports.
Specifically, there will be 13 special flights between Vietnam and other countries, mostly in Europe and Asia, to transport vulnerable Vietnamese home.
Vietnam Airlines is tasked with longer routes and will conduct 10 flights to bring back citizens back from Japan, the US, Canada, the UAE, France, Russia, Spain and Thailand. VietJet will operate two flights from Singapore and Indonesia, and Bamboo Airways will fly to the Philippines.
Flights will land at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport, Quang Ninh’s Van Don Airport, Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat Airport, or Can Tho Airport.
Although Vietnam has relaxed some social distancing restrictions nationwide, it has not started allowing incoming international routes, save for these special flights for humanitarian purposes. At the moment, all arrivals will undergo a compulsory two-week period of isolation at quarantine facilities.
According to CAAV, these flights will prioritize more vulnerable citizens, such as students under 15 years of age, senior citizens, pregnant women, those with illnesses and disabilities, and others whose visas have expired.
Most recently, Vietnam Airlines completed flights between Vietnam and Japan. Flight VN311 from Tokyo’s Narita Airport landed at Van Don Airport at 3:16pm on April 22, bringing back 298 Vietnamese passengers, reports Nguoi Lao Dong. Before flying back, it delivered medical supplies as gifts from Vietnam to the Japanese government.
On April 17, similar flights also took place between Vietnam and Italy, sending Italian nationals stuck in Vietnam and medical supplies from Hanoi to Milan. The return flight landed with Vietnamese citizens on board.
[Photo via VNA]
