The Vietnamese Ministry of Transport has asked the country's Civil Aviation Authority to notify the airlines about the suspension of passenger air transport between April 1 and 15.
According to the Vietnamese press, the authorities report that the directive does not apply to passengers with diplomatic status, officials or specialists, business managers and other categories approved by the National Committee on Covid Prevention and Control-19.
Vietnam suspends all air operations
The suspension of air operations, which aims to limit the spread of the pandemic, is not the only measure taken by Vietnam. A national blockade was established to combat COVID-19. About 100 million people are ordered not to leave their homes, except for trips to grocery stores, pharmacies and medical emergencies. These are the most extreme measures taken after Vietnam initially managed to successfully cope with the first wave.
Vietnam limited the first wave, which began in January. And now the country is hit by a new wave. There have been 204 new cases reported, with no deaths yet.
Prior to the new directives imposed by the government of Vietnam, the Civil Aviation Authority suspended Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports, but also limited domestic flights to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Vietnam Airlines, one of the affected airlines, will continue to operate a limited number of domestic flights over the next 2 weeks:
Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh - a daily round trip
Hanoi - Da Nang - a daily round trip
Ho Chi Minh - Da Nang - a daily round trip