Vietnamese citizens wearing masks and protective suits during a repatriation flight from Indonesia conducted by Vietjet on November 30. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Airline passengers who fail to wear face masks during flights face fines up to VNĐ3 million (US$130), under a new order by the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam.

The order was signed by the agency’s head Định Việt Thắng, ahead of the rising risks of COVID-19 spread during the year-end travel surge in the lead up to the Gregorian New Year and the traditional Lunar New Year (Tết) holiday.

The head of the agency ordered all Vietnamese airlines to require their passengers to follow recently issued instructions of the Government on ensuring COVID-19 prevention, which includes a mask mandate before boarding the flight and during the flight.

Airlines must have measures to inform their passengers of the requirements at the check-in kiosks as well as via the public address system on the aircraft about violations of Government’s anti-pandemic rules in air transport could fine the offenders up to VNĐ3 million.

Airlines also must work closely with relevant authorities to deal with offending passengers in line with existing laws on administrative penalties for civil aviation transgressions.

Vietnamese airlines have required passengers to wear face coverings since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the compliance rate has been quite high despite no official enforcement of the order. — VNS