Vietnam’s Domestic Services Resume As Lockdown Eased

Tomorrow, Vietnam’s domestic flights are set to resume. The country’s Civil Aviation Authority has given the green light after banning domestic flight ticket sales at the end of August. The governing body has outlined a list of 10 routes that will resume- assigning services to various domestic operators.

Vietnam Airlines is the flag carrier of Vietnam and the largest airline in the country. Photo: Airbus

First phase of domestic air resumption travel begins

According to ch-aviation.com, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has consulted with 20 provinces and cities in the country, publishing its initial list of authorized routes and frequencies. Announced on October 6th, services are set to resume tomorrow, October 10th.

The following services will resume out of Ho Chi Minh City:

• Thanh Hoa:
  • 2x daily for Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and Bamboo Airways,
  • Daily flights for VietJetAir;
• Khanh Hoa Province:
  • 4x daily for Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and Bamboo Airways,
  • Daily flights for VietJet Air;
• Phu Yen Province:
  • 4x daily for Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and Bamboo Airways,
  • Daily flights for VietJet Air;
• Binh Dinh Province:
  • 4x daily for Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and Bamboo Airways,
  • Daily flights for VietJet Air;
• Phu Quoc island:
  • 4x daily for Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, and Bamboo Airways,
  • Daily flights for VietJet Air;
• Thua Thien Hue Province: Daily service for Vietnam Airlines;
• Nghe An Province: 2x weekly for Vietnam Airlines.

The following services will resume out of Thanh Hoa:

• Khanh Hoa Province: Daily to VietJet Air;
• Buon Ma Thuot city: Daily to Vietnam Airlines;
• Phu Quoc island: Daily to VietJet Air;

It is also noted that 4x daily flights may be added on other routes. However, this requires additional approval from other local authorities.

Bamboo Airways is one of the newest operators in Vietnam, launching operations a year before the health crisis hit. Photo: A320neoceo via Wikimedia Commons 

Subsequent phases

The country’s Ministry of Transport has already issued its plan for a safe restart to domestic air travel with the following dates and parameters:

• As previously noted, Phase One will begin on October 10th. In this phase, each airline’s services will not exceed an average frequency of 50% of their first 10 days of April 2021. Airlines must maintain seat spacing,
• Assuming all goes well, Phase Two will commence on October 20th. In this phase, each airline’s frequencies may not exceed 70% of their average of the first 10 days of April 2021. Additionally, seat spacing will not be required;
• Following a successful Phase Two, Phase Three will allow airlines to have the same frequencies on each route as the first 10 days of April 2021.
• Stage Four will permit the normal resumption of Vietnam’s domestic route network.

VietJet is Vietnam’s main low-cost carrier. Photo: 湯小沅 via Wikimedia Commons 

Travel restrictions and guidance

Returning to the skies will come with a list of restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, particularly in this initial phase of reopening the country’s aviation sector:

• Passengers must be fully vaccinated or present official proof certifying a recent recovery from COVID-19 within the past six months.
• All services are to operate with seat spacing. This will be relaxed if and when the country moves into Phase Two.
• Preflight testing will be required 72 hours before departure if traveling from Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, or Long An. Upon completing these flights, passengers must self-monitor at home for seven days, with mandatory follow-up testing.
• Masks will be required at all times within the airport and during flights.

✈ With multiple domestic routes resuming at the start of October, Vietnam Airlines will put all aircraft under comprehensive mechanical inspection and continue to implement strict safety measures with our “Safety First” policy.#VietnamAirlines #4StarAirline #SafetyFirst pic.twitter.com/RAAvlhOMBZ

— Vietnam Airlines (@VietnamAirlines) October 4, 2021

After having daily case counts of under 100 throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021, Vietnam’s cases began to surge from July and onwards. Vietnam’s daily case count peaked in late August, with over 16,000 new cases reported in a single day. That number has since been brought down to just under 5,000 per day.

What are your thoughts and reactions to Vietnam’s domestic flight resumption plan? Let us know by leaving a comment.

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