Flights to France, Malaysia temporarily stopped

The flight VN11 from Ho Chi Minh City to Paris (France) in the evening of March 17 was cancelled while flights between Viet Nam and France in the next few days will be temporarily postponed until the new announcement is issued. 

The flights between Viet Nam and the UK and Germany have been carried out as planned, the representative of Viet Nam Airlines said. 

In Southeast Asia, the airlines will temporarily stop launching Viet Nam-Malaysia air routes from March 18-31 as the Malaysian Government has unlocked its borders during the period. 

The airlines will consider reducing air routes within the Southeast Asian nations in line with the developments of the pandemic and new regulations of the Vietnamese Government relevant to entry and isolation. 

Earlier, leaders in the European Union have agreed to close the bloc's external borders to most non-EU citizens for 30 days to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Viet Nam Airlines will exempt fees for itinerary changing or changing flight date for passengers taking flights between Viet Nam and France from March 18-June 30, 2020 and flights between Viet Nam and Malaysia starting from March 18-31. 

Vietjet Air has also announced to temporarily stop flights from Viet Nam to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Indonesia since March 20.

The Vietnamese Government has decided to temporarily halt visa issuance to foreigners for 30 days, applicable since March 18.

Foreigners enjoying visa-waiver program or overseas Vietnamese and their spouses and children having been granted with certificate of visa exemption shall only be allowed to enter Viet Nam if they can submit papers certifying they are negative for the virus.

The aforesaid measure shall also be applied to foreigners who are experts, business managers, highly skilled workers upon arrival to Viet Nam.

All the above measures shall not be applicable to entrants for diplomatic or official purposes.

All entrants shall be medically checked and have to comply with the nation’s COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Earlier, Viet Nam Airlines has temporarily postponed flights to China and South Korea due to complex developments of COVID-19. 

As of March 18, 68 COVID-19 patients have been confirmed in Viet Nam, of whom 16 ones were successfully treated and discharged from hospital. 

By Thuy Dung