Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner lands at Heathrow Airport in London (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam Airlines will use wide-body aircraft to evacuate a large number of passengers from China’s Hong Kong to Vietnam and vice versa this week, as the new coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak is ravaging the region, according to the national flag carrier’s representatives.
The airlines will use Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to replace narrow-body Airbus A321 for Flights VN594 and VN595 between Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong on February 5 – 7 and February 9.
It said it will actively coordinate with relevant authorities and agencies to keep a close watch on the situation and monitor health of the passengers on the flights and at the airport. The carrier will also strictly follow rules and recommendations by the government and the health ministry to ensure safety for all the passengers, crews, ground staff and the community amid the epidemic.
As Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan haven’t been affected much by the nCoV epidemic, the Ministry of Transport has decided to allow airlines to conduct flights between Vietnam and the three Chinese territories.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, it has temporarily cancelled the licences to regular flights linking with China from February 1. However, to handle the large number of passengers stranded at airports in mainland China, Vietnamese airlines are permitted to conduct flights to carry them home./.
VNA
