Illustrative image (Source: baodautu.vn)

The Ministry of Transport has been allowed to decide on the resumption of regular commercial flights to foreign destinations with a high level of safety against COVID-19 in line with the spirit of safely, flexibly adapting to and effectively controlling the pandemic.

In his reply to the request from national-flag carrier Vietnam Airlines asking for permission to reopen regular flights to Europe and Australia, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh urged the ministry to coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors and localities to consider the request and make decisions on its own.

Earlier at a meeting on December 10, Minh agreed with a pilot plan on the resumption of international commercial flights from January 1, 2022.

Under the plan, regular international passenger flights will be reopened to areas with a high safety level which are Beijing/Guangzhou (China), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (the Republic of Korea), Taipei (Taiwan - China), Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore, Vientiane (Laos), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and San Francisco/Los Angeles (the US). The plan will be carried out following the Ministry of Health’s pandemic prevention guidance for arrivals and begin on January 1 next year.

The Ministries of Health, Public Security, and Information and Communications, meanwhile, have been assigned to issue medical declaration software that is generally applicable to air travel to facilitate the declaration of passengers, the operation of aviation enterprises, and the medical monitoring, control and tracing of arrivals./.