The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on June 24 conducted a special repatriation flight, bringing home 343 Vietnamese citizens stranded in Taiwan (China) due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The flight was arranged by relevant Vietnamese agencies, the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei and relevant agencies of Taiwan (China), according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  

Passengers boarding the flight were those in extremely difficult circumstances such as the elderly, minors under 18, guestworkers whose labour contracts had terminated, pregnant women, people with underlying illnesses, students who had completed the school curriculum, and travelers left stranded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei sent officials to the airport to assist the citizens with necessary procedures before they boarded the aircraft.

Vietnam Airlines strictly implemented security, safety and epidemiology measures during the flight, in order to protect the passengers’ health and prevent the spread of the virus.

After landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, all the passengers and crew members underwent medical check-ups and were transferred to quarantine facilities according to regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.

Earlier on May 29, Vietnam Airlines also conducted a flight, repatriating more than 340 Vietnamese citizens stranded in Taiwan (China), with most of them pregnant women.  

Under the Prime Minister’s instructions, Vietnamese agencies, Vietnamese representative agencies abroad and domestic airlines will continue to conduct flights to bring overseas Vietnamese citizens back to Vietnam.