The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has coordinated with relevant competent agencies to arrange 18 flights to bring Vietnamese nationals back home between May 18  and June 15. 

Illustration photo

 Under the plan, the national flag carrier, Viet Nam Airlines, will conduct 14 flights from Thailand, India, the Netherlands, Chinese Taipei, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Angola, and the U.S.

The low-cost airline, Vietjet Air, will bring Vietnamese citizens from Myanmar, Chinese Taipei, the RoK, Singapore, and Japan with five flights meanwhile Bamboo Airways will deploy two flights to repatriate citizens from Singapore and Kuwait. 

Passengers have to afford their airfare. Vietnamese nationals who wish to go home from abroad have to register to the Vietnamese embassies or representative offices in their host  countries. After getting approval, they are permitted to buy tickets to fly back home. 

Earlier, from mid-April to May 17, Viet Nam launched 13 flights to repatriate Vietnamese citizens from Japan, the U.S., Canada, France, Russia, Spain and Singapore. 

These flights landed in Noi Bai International Airport (or Van Don Airport) and Tan Son Nhat international airport (or Can Tho Airport).

All passengers were medically checked and quarantined upon arrivals as currently regulated.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested competent authorities to have a roadmap for safe repatriation of Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad due to COVID-19 pandemic, while he was addressing a meeting on COVID-19 prevention and control.

The request was made as a great number of citizens are wishing to return home while the nation went almost a month without new community infection of COVID-19 [as of May 15]. /.