COVID-19 testing at Nội Bài International Airport, Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI —The Ministry of Transport no longer requires all air passengers from HCM City and the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ to provide proof of negative COVID-19 test results, according to its new rules issued on Monday.

The testing obligation now only applies to those living or travelling from locked down areas or zones classified as having the highest level of COVID-19 risk (Level 4) in the two southern cities.

Passengers from these areas must show proof of negative COVID-19 RT-PCR or rapid antigen test results done within 72 hours of the flight’s scheduled departure time.

Passengers will not be allowed to board flights if they have COVID-19 symptoms, for example, cough, fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, sore throat and loss of taste.

Under the newly-released regulations, the Ministry of Transport also enables carriers to serve in-flight meals and increase the frequency of flights on domestic routes from December 29, 2021 to February 16, 2022.

The number of flights between Hà Nội and HCM City will increase to 25 round-trips per day from December 29, 2021 to January 18, 2022, and to 52 from January 19 to February 16, 2022.

The frequency of flights on the HCM City – Đà Nẵng route will be up to 20 per day in the first phase and 27 in the second phase. The Hà Nội – Đà Nẵng route will be up to 20 in both phases.

The number of flights per route could be further increased before Tết (Việt Nam’s traditional Lunar New Year holiday) to serve the surge in domestic travel demands, which starts on January 29, with the COVID-19 situation taken into account. — VNS