Vietnam resumes int’l flights from Friday

Vietnam will resume international commercial flights to several Asian destinations starting Friday, after a monthslong shutdown to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

But the flights are not yet available for tourists. They are reserved for Vietnamese nationals, diplomats, experts, managers, skilled workers, investors and their families, reports AP.

Flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to destinations in South Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan will operate on a weekly basis. Flights connecting the cities with Cambodia and Laos will resume next week, according to a report posted on the government website.

To board a flight, passengers must hold a certificate showing they have tested negative for coronavirus no more than five days before the departure date. Upon arrival, they will be tested and placed under quarantine, the report said.

Vietnam shut down international flights on April 1. National carrier Vietnam Airlines estimated last month that it would lose $650 million this year.

Vietnam has reported 1,059 cases of the coronavirus. It managed to avoid any deaths until July, when the virus crept into Da Nang, killing 35 people.

No new cases have been reported for two weeks. Last week, Da Nang lifted a travel restriction after two months.