National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines all flight routes between Vietnam and Europe to keep distance from areas that might be impacted by rising tensions in the Middle East for the safety of its passengers.

A Vietnam Airlines plane. Photo: Vietnam Airlines

Accordingly, Vietnam Airlines will make appropriate adjustments to its routes to avoid areas of potential instability, even though it has no regular flights to/from Europe that pass through Iranian or Iraqi airspace, the airline has said in a statement.

These adjustments might prolong passengers’ flight time and increase expenses for Vietnam Airlines. However, the carrier will continue to enact these adjustments until tensions in the Middle East wane.

This is not the first time Vietnam Airlines has had to reroute flights away from areas of potential conflict. In 2018, Vietnam Airlines diverted its routes away from the Black Sea, as stability in the region was affected by the civil conflict in Syria.

Vietnam Airlines recommends passengers traveling from/to Europe during this time regularly check and update the latest information at Vietnam Airlines’ official Facebook page, website www.vietnamairlines.com, or contact agents nationwide.

The carrier’s announcement came in after Iran on Wednesday morning fired rockets at two US military bases in neighboring Iraq where the US and Coaliation troops are stationed in retaliation for Soleimani’s death.