The Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV) has proposed the Ministry of Transport a plan to resume international flights, including combo flights for Vietnamese citizens in routes connecting Viet Nam with Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Singapore Thailand, Malaysia, France, Germany, Russia, and Australia.

In the first phase of the plan, routes connecting Viet Nam with Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Singapore Thailand, Malaysia, France, Germany, Russia, and Australia will be resumed (Photo: VNA)

In the first phase, operations of flights to other markets will be re-open when there is demand for labour transport, according to the plan.

The frequency of the flights will depend on the quarantine capacity of localities, it said, adding that flights will only be allowed after agreements on receiving and quarantine plans are reached with the localities.

The CAAV also proposed the launching of pilot flights to carry foreign tourists to some tourist destinations like Phu Quoc, Khanh Hoa and Quang Ninh. The flights will not be limited by markets, but all passengers must show negative RT-PCR/RT-LAMP testing results against SARS-CoV-2 which is valid within 72 hours until the departure time of the first flight in their journey to Vietnam.

They should also be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or show certificates of recovering from COVID-19 within six months. They are required to register for package tours provided by travel firms.

There will be one flight per day on the average, with about 4,000-6,000 passengers served in the first month. The number of flights will be doubled in the following month.

In the second phase from January next year, the CAAV proposed piloting regular flights that will only serve passengers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recovered from the disease. No document-based acceptance for their entrance is required.

Initially, four flights per leg will be operated each week on air routes between Viet Nam and China, Hong Kong (China), Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, France, Russia, Australia and other safe countries without recommendations of travel restrictions. The CAAV will suggested new markets as well as number of flights in line with the real situation.

Meanwhile, in the third phase from April 2022, depending on the vaccination progress in Vietnam and the evaluation on herd immunity, regular flights to Vietnam will be resumed.  Passengers on flights need not go to quarantine upon arrival, as vaccine passports are in place.

In this phase, Vietnamese and foreign passengers are required to show their vaccination certificate or evidence of recovery from COVID-19. The markets will be opened following the demand of airlines, with seven flights per leg allowed for each airlines per week.

In the final phase slated from July 2022, international flights will be operated in line with the market demand and the vaccination progress in Viet Nam as well as the herd immunity in society.

Source: VNA