Japanese experts arriving at Vân Đồn international airport in the northern province of Quảng Ninh. — VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG NINH — Vietnam Airlines’ flight VN311 carrying 150 Japanese experts landed at Vân Đồn International Airport in the northern province of Quảng Ninh on Thursday as the two countries agreed to relax travel restrictions meant to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

All passengers wore protective suits, filled in compulsory health declarations, and have been quarantined at facilities for 14 days. The check-in counters and airport terminals were also later sterilised.

This week, three flights from Japan’s Narita Airport in Tokyo are scheduled to land at Vân Đồn airport, carrying nearly 450 Japanese businesspeople to Việt Nam, marking the resumption of flights between the two nations as they have got a handle on the disease domestically. The flights are supported by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) in Việt Nam.

Since February, Vân Đồn International Airport has welcomed 30 flights carrying about 5,000 experts from the Republic of Korea, Japan and Taiwan (China) to and from Việt Nam, contributing to the country's economic recovery following the pandemic.

It has also received 37 flights with more than 6,100 Vietnamese from pandemic-hit areas worldwide. — VNS