The Vietnam Airlines flight carrying repatriated Vietnamese citizens and donations of medical supplies back to Việt Nam. — Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airlines

HÀ NỘI — A flight bringing 277 Vietnamese citizens home from the US landed safely at the Nội Bài International Airport in Hà Nội in the early hours of Wednesday.

The flight, operated by Vietnam Airlines from San Francisco, also transported more than 6.2 tonnes of medical equipment and supplies from overseas Vietnamese in the US to compatriots in Việt Nam for COVID-19 prevention and control.

This is the second direct flight between Việt Nam and the US conducted by Vietnam Airlines this year after the airline was licensed by the US authorities to operate 12 flights to bring Vietnamese citizens home.

More specifically, this is also the first time that a flight operated by a Vietnamese airline has been licensed to transport goods between the two countries.

The special goods on the flight included 250 ventilators, 9,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits, 600 sets of medical protective clothing, 2,500 anti-droplet masks and 60,000 medical masks.

The estimated total value of the shipment is about US$1 million.

All of these goods are contributed by the Vietnamese community in the US in response to the call of Consulate General of Việt Nam in San Francisco to support pandemic prevention and control in Việt Nam.

Vietnam Airlines has urgently worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, the US Embassy in Việt Nam, the Consulate General of Việt Nam in San Francisco and the US authorities to complete procedures for transporting the goods.

The Ministry of Health will receive the goods and distribute them to medical stations all over the country. — VNS