Nearly 230 Vietnamese citizens who had been left stranded in Japan as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic were repatriated home safely on September 22 on a flight conducted by budget Vietjet Air.

The repatriation flight was conducted following collaboration between Vietnamese and Korean authorities, along with the Vietnamese Embassy in the host nation.

Passengers onboard the flight were minors under the age of 18, the elderly, pregnant women, and people suffering underlying health illnesses, students without accommodation due to the closure of their dormitories, stranded tourists, guest workers with expired labour contracts, and others facing a number of challenging circumstances.

Ahead of the flight, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan sent staff to the airport in an effort to assist citizens with necessary procedures ahead of their departure.

In order to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19, a score of epidemic prevention measures were taken during the journey. Upon arrival at Da Nang International Airport all members of the flight crew and passengers underwent heath checkups and were immediately put in quarantine in line with regulations regarding COVID-19 prevention and control.

Moving forward Vietnamese authorities and overseas missions are striving to arrange additional repatriation flights aimed at bringing home more Vietnamese citizens in the near future. Indeed, the schedule of future flights is likely to depend on both demand and the quarantine capacity at home.