Vietnam resumes regular commercial flights to 20 countries and territories. Photo: VOV

Vietnam has so far reopened air routes to 20 countries and territories, compared to 28 in the 2019 winter flight schedule before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, a transport official has said.

On February 15, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) sent notifications to foreign aviation authorities and issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) to airlines to inform about the removal of restrictions on regular and charter international flights.

Starting from February 22 the country has moved to restore regular international air routes with Cambodia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Laos, Taiwan, Hong Kong (China), France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, and the United States.

Compared to the pre-pandemic period, Vietnam has yet to operate flights to Brunei, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Macao, Finland, Italy, and Switzerland, reported the VOV.

Planes park at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)

How can passengers taking international flights enter Vietnam?

It is a must for passengers getting by international flights to have a certificate of negative PCR test valid for 72 hours; vaccination certificate/vaccine passport or certificate of recovery from Covid-19.

After getting off the plane, passengers who have had enough vaccination or recovered from the disease will be quarantined at home for 3 days; if taking not enough doses, quarantine time at a place of residence will be 7 days. Passengers who have not received the full dose or have not been confirmed to be cured will be required for a certificate of eligibility for facilities and equipment to ensure medical isolation at home, or confirmation of a hotel reservation (minimum 7 days). These documents will be checked by airlines during passengers' check in.

Passengers entering the country can use a vaccine passport which proves that you are fully vaccinated. If you do not have a vaccine passport, you can use a hard copy as usual.

International routes have been operated with unlimited frequency from February 15. Illustrative photo on VOV.

Currently, airlines run a total of 370 regular international flights per week, equivalent to 53 flights per day, a figure which is about 10% compared to the pre-pandemic time.

Meanwhile, six carriers, namely Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, Pacific Airlines, Bamboo Airways, Vietravel Airlines, and Vasco, are operating 56 domestic air routes with 2,570 flights per week each way, down two routes and 217 flights from the flight scheduled in the 2019 winter.

The latest resumption of flights will follow the directions and requirements set by all countries involved. Passengers are required to seriously comply with regulations on pandemic prevention and entry-exit procedures.

All arrivals must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, using the gold-standard PCR method, within 72 hours prior to entry.

Entrants who have been fully vaccinated or who have recovered from COVID-19 must not make any direct contact with others and they are not permitted to leave their places of residence or designated accommodation, such as hotels, motels, resorts, offices, dormitories, or guest houses, during the first three days of their visit.

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