Vietnam Airlines resumes international commercial flights

Over 200 passengers arrived from Taipei, all paying from their pockets for quarantine and Covid-19 testing on landing.

"This flight marked the restart of Vietnam Airlines' inbound commercial flights after a period of suspension due to the complicated development of Covid-19," the carrier said in a release.

Before departure, all passengers had to furnish a certificate showing they had tested negative for the novel coronavirus based on an RT-PCR test done three days before the flight.

They also had to submit papers for quarantine registration in Vietnam and install Bluezone, a Bluetooth-based app that shows if a person has come into close contact with a Covid-19 patient.

All were tested on landing and will be tested again six days later.

Those testing positive for Covid-19 will be admitted for treatment, and the rest can move from the quarantine center to isolation at home, place of work or a hotel until they complete the 14-day mandatory quarantine under the supervision of local authorities.

Earlier Vietnam Airlines said it is awaiting approval from the U.S. government to launch regular direct flights to that country.

Vietnam closed national borders and canceled all international flights in March last year with only Vietnamese repatriates, foreign experts and highly-skilled workers allowed in since then with stringent conditions.