A passenger at Narita Airport, Tokyo, Japan on December 1, 2021. — AFP/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV) has proposed the Ministry of Transport increase the frequency of flights to Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan (China), given the great demand for returning home among Vietnamese community abroad.

CAAV Director Đinh Việt Thắng cited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that more than 140,000 overseas Vietnamese people are planning to return home.

Airlines share the view that it is necessary to increase flights linking with some markets with high demand such as Japan, the RoK and Taiwan, he noted.

The Ministry of Health has issued guidance on anti-pandemic measures applicable starting the new year, which state fully vaccinated entrants with negative PCR COVID-19 tests only need to self-quarantine for three days at places of residence on arrival. 

The CAAV on December 17 sent official documents to aviation authorities of Japan, the RoK, Taipei (Taiwan, China), China, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

These are the destinations with which the Government has agreed to resume commercial passenger flights.

It proposed four flights to Việt Nam per week for each side while flights from Việt Nam follow current regulations, starting January 1, 2022, and the frequency will be adjusted based on the COVID-19 situation.

Meanwhile, as only Vietnam Airlines has been flying to the US and licensed by both countries’ authorities, the carrier can immediately conduct regular flights as scheduled.

Apart from the US, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and Cambodia have agreed with Việt Nam's proposals so far.

Regarding the emergence of Omicron, the CAAV said all the nine markets Việt Nam planned to resume regular international flights with in the first phase (China, Japan, the RoK, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and the US) have recorded the new variant, and that new rules on Omicron control would affect all flights being operated.

The CAAV will negotiate with foreign partners to update information about rapid COVID-19 tests for passengers before getting on planes.

At Vietnamese airports, it will assign the Airports Corporation of Việt Nam to work with local health authorities to carry out tests, and passengers will have to pay for the tests by themselves. — VNS