Vietnamese citizens say thanks to the Vietnamese Government and Vietnam Airlines for repatriating them from Equatorial Guinea (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - A special flight carrying 219 Vietnamese citizens previouslyliving in Equatorial Guinea landed safely at Hanoi’s Noi Bai InternationalAirport a couple of days ago.
It was the 41st flight conductedby the national flag carrier to bring Vietnamese people home from differentparts of the world. It was the first time, however, that the airline had to doso while also dealing with a large number of infections, as many passengers arethought to be carrying COVID-19.
Dang Anh Tuan, head of the airline’s Communicationsand Branding Department, said right from the early days of the first outbreak,Vietnam Airlines has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Government and peopleeverywhere and every time.
Despite facing a high risk of infection, its staffhave been willing to put themselves on the frontlines of the national fightagainst the pandemic, Tuan said, adding that more than 130 employees, includingpilots, flight attendants, technicians, and ground staff, voluntarily agreed tobe part of the flight and this is truly touching.
“Flights followed the strictest standards andhad experienced flight crews and highly-qualified engineers, technicians, andground staff,” he said. “Standby spare parts were also taken, so any technology-relatedproblems could be addressed.”
Tuan said Vietnam Airlines had prepared for amonth for the special flight, with dozens of meetings held to discuss everydetail, under the direction of the Prime Minister, the National SteeringCommittee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, and the Ministry of Transport.
With its experience in repatriatingVietnamese citizens from unstable places such as Libya in 2011 and 2014 orJapan after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Vietnam Airlines worked withrelevant ministries and sectors such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and theMinistry of Health on preparations and on having suspected cases of infectionon board.
All necessary preparations relating totechnical issues and protective gear were made, to deal with any and all situationsthat may occur on the flight.
Preparation of fuel for the aircraft atEquatorial Guinea’s Bata International Airport was also problematic, as the airporthad no fuel at all.
But the carrier worked with the EquatorialGuinean side to resolve the problem, with the latter making arrangements for fuelto be transported to the Bata International Airport.
To deal with every arising circumstance,Vietnam Airlines decided to choose the most experienced crew members, Tuan explained,adding that the captain previously flew to Libya to rescue Vietnamese workers.
After landing in Hanoi, Captain Pham Dinh Hung told the Vietnam News Agency:“The flight was safe. No passengers had any problems during the journey fromBata to Noi Bai.”
Phung Hoang Quan, a flight attendant onboardthe special flight, said it was his third trip repatriating Vietnamese. Unlikeprevious flights, however, where most of the passengers were students, thisflight had passengers who had been identified as being possibly infected withCOVID-19.
“I’m not married as yet, so before these flightsthis I always speak with my parents,” he said. “Fortunately, they understandthe nature of my career and support me.”
He added that if Vietnam Airlines conducts moresuch special flights, he will again put his hand up./.
VNA
