Major domestic airlines will launch fly and stay combos to bring home Vietnamese citizens stranded in Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan (China) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnamese citizens wishing to return home from overseas are required
to pay all-in-services for the airline. (Illustrative photo.)

The programme is set to start from December 1, 2020 and end on January 15, 2021, according to a document drafted by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV).

Returnees will pay the airline all services including airfares, quarantine fees at hotels, and transportation costs from airports to quarantine hotels, 3 meals per day, COVID-19 testing costs.

For other costs incurred, the returnees will pay at the selected hotel.

All returnees after entry will move to the selected hotel, pay services, and the medical agency will perform sampling at the hotel. They will be tested twice after entry and before the compulsory 14 day quarantine period expires (if the first test proves negative).

The CAAV plans to conduct such 33 flights a week in one and a half months, and these flights are arranged to land at only 7 airports across the country, namely Van Don, Da Nang, Cam Ranh, Can Tho, Phu Quoc, Tho Xuan, and Phu Cat.

The CAAV has just sent the document to the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and proposed close collaboration to carry out these repatriation flights.

Vietnam had suspended all international commercial flights since April to fight against COVID-19. It has resumed such commercial flights to six countries and territories on a pilot scheme since September, mostly to bring Vietnamese citizens stranded overseas due to COVID-19.

However, the CAAV temporarily suspended the plan after two pilot flights from the Republic of Korea due to problems relating to quarantine fees.

The Ministry of Health says it is drafting detailed guidelines on entry, medical surveillance and quarantine for passengers on these commercial flights.