Vietnam Airlines is the first Vietnamese carrier to publish schedules of international flights after a long time of suspension due to Covid-19 pandemics.
The initial plan is to re-open key routes from Hanoi and Hochiminh to regional countries namely Korea, Taiwan, HongKong, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, and Campuchia.
Specifically, the schedule of flights to Korea will include HCM – Seoul (07 flights/week), Hanoi – Seoul (07 flights/week), HCM – Busan (03 flights/week), and Hanoi – Busan (04 flights/week).
The airline will operate 03 flights from HCM and 04 flights from Hanoi to Hong Kong from July 1st. Simultaneously, the same weekly frequency will be applied for Vietnam – Taiwan routes.
It is highly possible that the national flag airline will plan to re-open flight routes within Southeast Asia this July. The company expects to have 07 daily flights from HCM to Bangkok (Thailand) from July 9th and 07 ones from Hanoi to Bangkok from July 2nd.
Meanwhile, Vietnam Airlines will fly seven times a week from HCM to Singapore, beginning on July 2nd. On the same day, the frequency of 07 flights every day will be applied for Hanoi – Vientiane (Laos), Vientiane – Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and Phnom Penh – HCM.
Vietnam Airlines’ representative said that all the international flight schedules had been prepared to be immediately operated once approved. “All Vietnamese airlines are working in details with Vietnam Aviation Department, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Health to draft the most appropriate plan which complies with the Prime Minister’s directives.”
The representative also revealed that this schedule had not been finalized and Vietnam Airlines would publish the official schedule after working with related authorities.
Previously, the Vietnamese Prime Minister, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, assigned the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control to publish a list of safe areas, which have not recorded any new COVID-19 cases within 30 latest days, to re-open international flight routes. The destinations taken into consideration were Korea, Guangzhou (China), Tokyo (Japan), Taiwan, and Indochina nations.
The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam is forecast to experience a dramatic decline of 69% in 2020 compared with that in 2019; however, it will possibly recover from 100.000 visitors/month in July up to 600.000 visitors/month in December.
Edited and translated by: Dandelion
