Viet Nam Airlines to suspend flights on VN-South Korea routes since March 5

VGP - National flag carrier Viet Nam Airlines announed Monday that it will suspend all flights between Viet Nam and South Korea from March 5, 2020, amid complicated developments of COVID-19 epidemic.

March 03, 2020 11:57 AM GMT+7

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All of flights on March 3 and 4 from Seoul-based Incheon airport and Busan’s Gimhae airport to Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City shall have to land at Van Don (Quang Ninh), Can Tho, and Phu Cat (Quy Nhon) airports at the request of the Vietnamese authorities.

All crew members on these flights will be equipped with medical protective gear.

The airline will conduct disinfection of all aircraft returning from South Korea.

Passengers will be informed about plans to resume flights on the routes between the two countries later.

Passengers could call 1900 1100 from Viet Nam or 84 24 38320 320 from abroad to update the latest information.

Earlier, all passenger flights from South Korea to Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports have been halted since 12 am on Sunday due to complicated development of the COVID-19 epidemic, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam (CAAV).

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Such flights will be redirected to land in designated airports, namely Van Don in northern province of Quang Ninh or Can Tho in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

All the airlines shall have to inform all passengers from South Korea to fill in the mandatory health declaration form and recommend passengers who are Vietnamese living and working in South Korea consider buying tickets to Viet Nam as they shall be subject to 14-day quarantine.

On February 25, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed a directive asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promptly inform South Korea, other countries and territories about Viet Nam’s measures to prevent spread of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Vietnamese citizens are advised that they should not travel to affected areas and they shall be quarantined for 14 days upon arriving in Viet Nam if they have to travel to the affected areas.

Vietnamese who are living and working in South Korea, especially in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk should seriously follow instructions on epidemic prevention and control of the host country.

As of early March 3, a total number of 4,812 people in South Korea infected with COVID-19, 60% of whom reside in Daegu. The nation confirmed 28 deaths of the virus.

By Thuy Dung