Domestic carriers ready to take to international skies again
Hanoi (VNA) - Domestics airlines have said they are ready for the
restart of international flights, after routes to and from foreign destinations
were closed for almost half a year to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
National
flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has completed formulating plans and announced
schedules for flights to Japan, with the first departing on September 18, head
of its public relations department Dang Anh Tuan told the Vietnam News Agency.
The
carrier will only conduct one-way flights, from Vietnam to Japan, however,
while awaiting for the Ministry of Health (MoH)'s issuance of directions on the return
leg, Tuan said.
He added that
the MoH has made a proposal on providing guidelines on how to safely operate
inbound flights, which is now subject to comment from the National Steering
Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control before being finalised.
Low-cost carrier
Vietjet Air said it will reopen regular international flights to Japan, the
Republic of Korea (RoK), and Taiwan (China) from September 29.
Each week, it will
conduct one flight from HCM City to Tokyo on Tuesday, one from HCM City to Seoul
on Wednesday, and one from Hanoi to Taipei, Taiwan (China) on Thursday.
Bamboo
Airways, meanwhile, also plans to resume flights to Taiwan (China) and the RoK in
September and October while launching new routes to Japan, Singapore, and Australia
in the fourth quarter of this year and Germany and the UK in the first quarter
of 2021.
Earlier, Deputy
Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh gave his permission to the resumption of regular
international passenger flights between Vietnam and certain countries and
territories.
Accordingly,
air routes to Guangzhou (China), Taiwan (China), Seoul, and Tokyo restarted on
September 15 and those to Phnom Penh and Vientiane will follow, from September
22.
The
maximum number of flights on each route will not exceed two per week, which may
be increased depending on the situation.
The Civil
Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has been assigned to work with agencies
under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and partners from China, Japan, the RoK,
Taiwan (China), Cambodia, and Laos to discuss those are eligible to
enter Vietnam and the requirements to be placed on them, as well as entry
procedures.
Before
boarding flights to Vietnam, passengers must have their temperature checked,
install the NCOVI health declaration app, and obtain a certificate issued by
local authorities stating they have tested negative for the coronavirus./.