Low-cost airline Vietjet Air on November 16 conducted two flights to bring home nearly 600 Vietnamese citizens stranded in Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Vietnamese citizens are repatriated from Japan. (Photo: MOFA)

A Vietjet Air flight carrying nearly 360 passengers from Japan landed at Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa province, central Vietnam, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).   

Meanwhile, the other flight transporting 240 passengers from the RoK descended at Da Nang International Airport in Da Nang city, central Vietnam.

Passengers on board the two repatriation flights were minors under 18, pregnant women, sick people, guest workers whose labour contracts had expired, students who had finished training courses, and other special cases.

Vietnamese embassies in Japan and the RoK sent staff to assist the citizens with necessary procedures before departure.

VietJet Air strictly implemented security, safety, and epidemiological measures during the flights to ensure the passengers’ health and prevent the possible spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Upon landing in Vietnam, all crew members and passengers underwent medical supervision and were transferred to quarantine facilities in line with regulations on COVID-19 prevention and control.

Vietnamese agencies are arranging similar repatriation flights in the near future to bring home Vietnamese citizens stranded overseas according to their wishes as well as the epidemic situation and quarantine capacity in the country.

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam has said four local airlines are planning to conduct more than 50 flights from now till the end of this year to repatriate Vietnamese citizens stranded overseas due to COVID-19.