No international flights from and to Vietnam will be allowed for two weeks starting from April 1 as the country has entered a two-week period of nationwide isolation.

A flight of Vietnam Airlines amid coronavirus spread. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

The ban by the Ministry of Transport is aimed to enhance the nationwide isolation order by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

It is not applicable to entrants holding diplomatic and official passports or others who are experts, corporate executives, skilled laborers, guests of important foreign affairs, and those with permission by the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

It means that international airlines need to stop flights to Vietnam except for those pointed out above.

Before the move, Vietnam closed borders to foreigners but Vietnamese nationals. That allows international airlines to operate until April 1. Meanwhile, Vietnam's airlines have halted international flights since March 26.

In addition, domestic flights will be reduced in the next two weeks. Accordingly, each airline can operate the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route with two return flights per day, Hanoi-Danang has one return flight, and Ho Chi Minh City-Danang one return flight.

Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi alone receives around 550 flights per day before the pandemic.

All kinds of road passenger transport, including intercity bus, tourist bus, taxi, and bus will be not allowed nationwide, except for state cars, food and material vehicles, and worker shuttles.

Vietnam Railway will operate a return travel on the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City route while waterway transport becomes limited with only goods transport and no passengers to islands.