National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will resume some international flights from April 1 after a long hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The carrier said in a release that flights aim to meet demand of Vietnamese passengers travelling to Japan, South Korea and Australia for study and work. The routes include Hanoi - Narita, Hanoi - Incheon, Hanoi - Sydney and Ho Chi Minh City (HCM City) - Sydney.

Vietnam Airlines to resume some international flights. Photo: VNA

Vietnam Airlines on March 25 resumed international commercial operations with its first flight arriving in the central city of Danang from Taiwan.

Over 200 passengers arrived from Taipei, all paying from their pockets for quarantine and Covid-19 testing on landing.

"This flight marked the restart of Vietnam Airlines' inbound commercial flights after a period of suspension due to the serious development of Covid-19," the carrier said.

Before departure, all passengers had to furnish a certificate showing they had tested negative for the novel coronavirus based on an RT-PCR test done three days before the flight.

They also had to submit papers for quarantine registration in Vietnam and install Bluetooth-based app that shows if a person has come into close contact with a Covid-19 patient.
All were tested on landing and will be tested again six days later.

Those testing positive for Covid-19 will be admitted for treatment, and the rest can move from the quarantine center to isolation at home, place of work or a hotel until they complete the 14-day mandatory quarantine under the supervision of local authorities.

Further information could be found on the website www.vietnamairlines.com, Vietnam Airlines mobile app and Facebook page www.facebook.com/VietnamAirlines, its ticket agents nationwide or customer care hotline 1900 1100.

Vietnam closed national borders and canceled all international flights in March last year with only Vietnamese repatriates, foreign experts and highly-skilled workers allowed in since then with stringent conditions.