The plane, which departed from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, is expected to arrive at the Kyiv Boryspil International Airport in Kiev, capital of Ukraine, at around 3 p.m. local time.

The aircraft will fly back to the Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam with 74 Vietnamese citizens living and studying in Ukraine. The return flight is expected to land at 7:30 a.m., March 30.

To limit the risk of infection, the airline will screen passengers' body temperatures and do a quick health check before boarding. Passengers will be required to wear face masks during the flight and all crew members wear medical protective clothing covering their entire bodies.

After the aircraft lands Van Don, the passengers will quarantined and monitored for 14 days. The aircraft will be disinfected.

This is the third flight operated by Vietnam Airlines to bring citizens abroad home, after earlier flights to China's Wuhan City and Cebu City in the Philippines.

Since March 22, Vietnam has prohibited entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin. Only Vietnamese nationals and foreigners with diplomatic or official passports are allowed in, and all are quarantined for 14 days.

Of Vietnam's 179 confirmed Covid-19 cases so far, 21 have recovered and been discharged.

The Covid-19 pandemic has spread to 199 countries and territories to date, claiming over 30,000 lives.