international flight

International flights suspended for better quarantine procedures and facilities

by Daisy Nguyen October 8, 2020

International flights to Vietnam have been suspended in order to develop more synchronised quarantine procedures and new facilities.

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam confirmed that flights have been suspended as they wait for the guidance for quarantine procedures from the Ministry of Health. The problems are with paid quarantine facilities.

Hoang Minh Duc, deputy head of the Preventive Medicine Department said the decision was made after the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health held a meeting to review the pilot flights from Seoul to Hanoi and HCM City. It is estimated that the synchronised and detailed procedures would be submitted to the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control in the next three days.

The Ministry of Transport is gathering opinions from Hanoi and HCM City authorities about the flight schedules to review and allow more airlines to operate international flights in the future. There will be four flights a week to Hanoi and five flights to HCM City on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday by Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air.

The airlines must submit the estimated passenger list to the port authorities 12 hours before the estimated departure and the detailed passenger list 30 minutes before departure. The passengers must follow all preventive procedures.

Vietnamese passengers must have a valid passport and specific address in Vietnam for the quarantine period. Foreign passengers must have a visa, valid temporary residence card or written reply to the visa application and specific address in Vietnam. The passengers must all have a certificate that they have been tested negative to SARS-CoV-2.

Vietnam Airlines have launched Hanoi-Seoul flights on September 25 and Vietjet Air launched HCM City-Seoul flights on September 30. However, the procedures were carried out differently.

A dispute broke out on September 30 after 158 passengers arrived at Tan Son Nhat Airport from Incheon. According to the passengers, they refused to be quarantined at hotels because the fees had been increased from VND1.3m (USD56) to VND1.7m per (USD73) person per room.

This article was originally published in Dtinews

October 8, 2020 1183 views

Travel

An inside look at Vietnam’s first international commercial flight since the lockdown

by Ashley Pham September 19, 2020

A Hanoi-Tokyo flight, Vietnam’s first international commercial flight after six months of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic, carried over 100 passengers to Japan Saturday morning.

The one-way flight, operated by Vietnam Airlines with passengers queueing up from 3:30 a.m., from Noi Bai airport to Narita airport took off at 6:30 a.m.

Passengers on the flight mainly included Vietnamese students and guest workers.

Vietnamese are the third largest group of foreigners in Japan after Chinese and South Koreans, numbering nearly 412,000 last year, according to Japan’s Justice Ministry.

Japan is Vietnam’s largest labor market, receiving around 80,000 Vietnamese in 2019, the latter’s official data shows.

In addition to required documents like passports and visas, passengers need to show a certificate confirming they tested negative for the novel coronavirus issued within three days before departure. Vietnam Airlines only accepts the result from the Military Hospital 108 or the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, both based in Hanoi.

Vietnam Airlines staff instructs passengers to install health declaration apps and checks coronavirus testing certificates.

Before boarding, many passengers wore protective clothing to ensure anti-pandemic prevention although not mandatory.

Vietnam Airlines will organize two other flights from Hanoi to Tokyo on September 25 and 30, as well as one from Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on September 30, the national flag carrier stated.

Passenger flights from Japan to Vietnam would only recommence after approval from relevant authorities.

Passengers wear face masks and sit at least one meter apart to limit the risk of infection.

The flight crew had 14 members – 10 flight attendants and four pilots.

Upon returning to Vietnam, the entire crew will have their health checked and undergo 14-day quarantine as per Health Ministry protocol.

Over the past months, Vietnam Airlines has organized many repatriation flights to carry thousands of Vietnamese workers and students home from Japan.

The flight took off at 6:30 a.m.

Vietnam suspended all international flights on March 25. The government has allowed the resumption of commercial flights to seven Asian destinations, including Japan. Aviation authorities are working to finalize Covid-19 testing procedures and ensure there are sufficient quarantine facilities and medical staff to receive foreign passengers.

By Giang Huy @ VNExpress

September 19, 2020 1062 views

Life

Vietnam expects to receive 20,000 int’l arrivals from this month

by Daisy Nguyen September 11, 2020

The country expects some 20,000 international arrivals from mid-September with the reopening of international air routes.

By relaunching international flights this September, the country expects the entry of 20,000 people through international airports of Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat and Can Tho, Minister – Head of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said at the online government meeting on Covid-19 prevention on September 11.

From September 15, the country will reopen four international routes to Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan (China), and from September 22, flights to Cambodia and Laos will be resumed.

For boarding, passengers must have papers certifying their negative test results for nCoV, issued 5 days before departure, and undergo a 5-7-day paid quarantine period when entering Vietnam. During the quarantine period, the passenger will be tested for coronavirus twice.

Those with negative results will continue to self-isolate for another 14 days under local supervision. In case they show signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection, they will be sent to concentrated quarantine centers. The cost of isolation and testing is borne by the incoming person, regardless of whether their nationality is Vietnamese or foreign.

For passengers in transit to a third country, if their latest test for coronavirus takes place over 14 days prior departure, they must test again before boarding. He/she could take the test at the airport or at place of residence after paying VND1.2 million (US$51.5) for the PCR test.

According to Mr. Dung, hotels and accommodation establishments at localities are ready to host and provide paid quarantine to 20,000 people on entry who are required to install mobile tracking app during their stay.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the country has not confirmed any local infection over the past eight days, indicating that the country has initially contained the pandemic.

The prime minister required international flights to be resumed in phases in a cautious manner to avoid new outbreaks caused by incoming people.

As of September 11, Vietnam has confirmed 1,059 cases of nCoV infection, including 402 imported. About 35 people, all with pre-existing medical conditions, died from the disease.

Previously, from April 1, Vietnam stopped all air connections with other countries. Recently, a number of foreign airlines reopened international routes to Vietnam, but only for bringing goods in and taking passengers out of Vietnam.

The country continues to conduct repatriation flights according to the plan of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with priority given to passengers who are in difficult circumstances, experts, high-tech workers. All incoming people must undergo quarantine for 14 days.

This article was originally published in Hanoitimes

September 11, 2020 1003 views

Life

Vietnam to resume flights to Japan and South Korea

by Daisy Nguyen September 1, 2020

The flights between Vietnam and Japan, South Korean are expected to be resumed from September 15.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has proposed conducting four round-trip flights per week to South Korea and Japan, which are expected to start from September 15.

Under the agreement with Japanese and Korean partners, the Vietnamese air carriers will conduct two flights and each partner from Japan and South Korea will fly the two others.

However, Dinh Viet Thang, director of CCAV, said that the reopening of international routes is still pending approval from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Defense, taking into consideration the domestic quarantine capacity and quarantine fees for arriving passengers as well as safety measures applied to passengers on entry.

Air carriers will start selling tickets only after the relevant agencies reach a consensus on the above-mentioned issues.

Domestic airlines look forward to resuming daily international air services, and Japanese and Korean partners also expect to reconnect with Vietnam, said Thang.

According to the conclusions of a government meeting on Covid-19 prevention and control last week, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc stressed the importance of resuming air flights to Japan and South Korea to restart sending Vietnamese workers to those countries.

The prime minister agreed to the proposal of the Ministry of Planning and Investment to allow the entry of business executives of South Korean enterprises who make short business trips in Vietnam according to the list submitted by the South Korean Embassy in Hanoi, as well as for other specific investors.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is assigned to handle the flights to bring Vietnamese citizens back home as well as to facilitate the entry of experts, investors, and skilled workers. Each flight must have a specific plan to ensure safety, including isolation, suitable for each group of arrivals.

This article was originally published in Hanoitimes

September 1, 2020 787 views

Travel

Here’s the list of first six countries for resuming international flight connection from Vietnam

by Vietnam Insider July 17, 2020

The Ministry of Transport has put forward a proposal to the Government for consideration of resuming six international air routes in Asia. The Asia Insiders citing a report from the Vietnam Government Portal.

The proposed routes are Da Nang-Guangzhou (China), Ha Noi-Seoul (the Republic of Korea), Ha Noi-Tokyo (Japan), Ho Chi Minh City-Chinese Taipei, Quang Ninh-Vientiane (Laos) and Can Tho-Phnom Penh (Cambodia).

The frequency should be limited to one flight per week to each of the above destinations, the ministry suggested.

According to the Asia Insiders, it is estimated that around 2,500-3,000 foreign passengers will fly to Vietnam each week if the proposal is approved. The figures do not include Vietnamese citizens repatriated from foreign countries and territories.

These international flights also could only be resumed in early August to the earliest with approval of foreign partners.

At present, all airports in Vietnam are operating as usual, in which the Noi Bai International Airport and the Tan Son Nhat International Airport have received international flights, according to the ministry.

Since June, foreign airlines like Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines have carried out regular international flights from/to Vietnam while Vietnam Airlines has maintained regular flight schedule between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea.

Other foreign airlines like Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways, China Airlines and Eva Airways. Asianna Airlines, and Korean Air have also resumed regular flights to/from Vietnam since July.

The above flights, however, only transported goods to Vietnam, passengers and goods from Vietnam to international destinations. Other flights carried Vietnamese citizens, foreign diplomats, experts and skilled workers back to the country.

Under the current regulations, incoming passengers and crew members shall have to isolate for 14 days.

Earlier on July 13, the Government Office announced that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had given the green light to the resumption of flights between Vietnam and China.

Frequency and conditions for passenger transport shall be discussed and decided by competent authorities of the two countries.

As of 6:20 am on July 17th, Vietnam confirmed 381 COVID-19 cases, including 352 recoveries.

Also read: Vietnam reports eight foreign experts tested positive for Covid-19

The nation has gone three months without new community transmitted cases of COVID-19, said the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, led by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam./.

By Asia Insiders

July 17, 2020 2477 views

Trending

Vietnam to restart some international flights by June 10

by Helen Huynh May 27, 2020

The Vietnam’s Transport Ministry has asked civil aviation authorities to submit plans by June 10 for reopening some international flight routes.

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has also been tasked with proposing a specific time frame for resuming the flights on a bilateral basis to restore trade and investment activities and revive the tourism industry while ensuring strict maintenance of anti-pandemic measures. Nguyen Quy reported on VNExpress.

The administration will have to submit its report by June 10 for submission to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) had previously said it is eyeing to kickstart tourism again with select openings for foreign visitors. It is preparing plans to welcome visitors from countries and territories in anticipation of recovery and disease control in key markets like Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, VNAT said.

According to VNExpress, Vietnam has suspended international flights since March 25 and banned entry of foreign nationals since March 22 except for special cases. It has also granted permission for some special flights to repatriate Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad. Domestic flights have resumed since last month.

A Nikkei Asian Review report last week said Japan was gradually preparing to ease its entry restrictions on foreign visitors, with business travelers and researchers being the first to get the green light. Taiwan, Vietnam and some European countries where the Covid-19 crisis has been controlled will be considered for tourism resumption by the Japanese government, Nikkei said.

Dinh Viet Thang, director of CAAV, last month said he expected the local and international aviation markets would recover by the middle and end of 2021, respectively.

The transport ministry estimates Vietnam’s aviation industry to deal with 42.7 million passengers this year, down 46 percent from last year. This is a doubling of the worst-case-scenario forecast that the ministry had made in February, which was a 23 percent drop to 61.2 million passengers.

One of the countries to have dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic most effectively, Vietnam eased its social distancing restrictions on April 23 and has allowed most “non-essential” services except karaoke parlors and discos to resume operations.

The nation with a population of 94 million people has gone 41 days without any coronavirus infections caused by community transmission. The national Covid-19 count is 327, of which 49 are active cases as 278 have recovered after treatment.

Reporting by Nguyen Quy @ Vnexpress

May 27, 2020 2337 views

Travel

IndiGo opens HCMC – Kolkata flights

by Daisy Nguyen October 21, 2019

New service joins Hanoi – Kolkata route and is expected to boost visitors between Vietnam and India.

India’s largest carrier, IndiGo, has commenced direct flights between Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Frequency will be one return flight daily with an average ticket costing $260. The new route has immense potential for growth and the airline may ramp-up its daily services to three times a day, according to IndiGo’s Chief Commercial Officer Mr. William Boulter.

The new flight makes Ho Chi Minh City the seventh destination in Southeast Asia and the 22nd international destination of IndiGo.

Earlier this month, IndiGo also launched the first direct flights between Kolkata and Hanoi, also with a daily frequency.

As the financial center of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is an important destination for both business and leisure travelers as it offers a view of the history and architecture of Vietnam, Mr. Boulter said at the launch ceremony. He believes the new service will be a milestone in further strengthening the network between eastern corridors in India and the Southeast Asian region, including Vietnam, and is expected to ferry more visitors between the two countries.

Mr. Boulter added that the carrier has received an encouraging response on the Kolkata – Hanoi route, making it confident the new connection between Ho Chi Minh City and Kolkata can also gain traction. Vietnam has great potential due to its location to become an international hub for international flights in the region, like Thailand and Singapore are currently.

Tourism development between the two countries has grown 30 per cent each year on average over the last three years. More than 131,000 Indian visitors arrived in Vietnam last year and over 31,000 Vietnamese traveled to India. India targets welcoming double the number of tourists from different markets, including Vietnam, over the next five years.

IndiGo is the largest airline in India and holds a domestic market share of nearly 50 per cent. With over 240 aircraft, it operates some 1,500 flights per day on 60 domestic and 23 international routes.

Source: Vneconomictimes

October 21, 2019 920 views

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