Vietnam confirms flight resumption on five international routes

As of Tuesday, it has reached agreements with aviation authorities in these five destinations to implement the plan approved by the government earlier this month to resume regular international flights from Jan. 1, 2022, the CAAV said.

For the Japan route, the CAAV has granted licenses to Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and All Nippons Airways. The first flight will be launched by Vietnam Airlines on Jan. 5, followed Vietjet Air and All Nippons Airways on Jan. 6.

Flights from Japan cannot start as early as Jan. 1 because Japanese agencies will be on New Year’s holidays and passengers cannot be tested according to regulations, the administration said.

Taiwan has also agreed with the flight resumption plan but suggested raising the number of flights on each route in each direction to at least five per week instead of the four Vietnam has planned.

For now, Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air and Bamboo Airways have been granted permission to fly to Taiwan’s Taipei.

On the Singapore route, Vietnam Airlines will operate two flights per week while Vietjet Air will do so once a week.

Vietnam Airlines has been allowed to conduct four flights per week to Cambodia.

The national flag carrier is currently the only airline that has been licensed by the aviation authorities of both Vietnam and the U.S. to operate regularly, and it can deploy flights as planned.

The government approved plan allows the resumption of international flights from Jan. 1 to nine destinations.

However, South Korea, Laos and China are yet to share their plans and Thailand has suggested more discussions and exchanges.

The CAAV has also proposed that the Transport Ministry adds more flights on the South Korea and Taiwan routes.

As planned, in the first phase that is expected to last two weeks, there will be four flights per week on each route in each direction. The flight frequency will be increased to seven on each route in each direction later.

Vietnam grounded international flights in March last year, for a long time allowing in only its nationals, foreign experts, investors, and highly-skilled workers coming by special flights.