Vietnam Airlines suspends all flights to France, Malaysia

The airline said in a statement Tuesday that all flights between Vietnam and France stand cancelled starting March 18, including a flight late on March 17 from Ho Chi Minh City to Paris.

Flights to the U.K. and Germany remain operational.

The airline has also suspended flights between Vietnam and Malaysia between March 18 and March 31, with the Malaysian government announcing a closure of its borders.

The carrier is also considering cutting down flights to other Southeast Asian destinations depending on how the pandemic develops in the region.

Flights between Vietnam and Malaysia will remain suspended pending further announcements from authorities.

The state-owned carrier has been operating flights to and from Europe but with extra precautions, such as interviewing customers and measuring their body temperature.

The Vietnamese government has also required visitors coming from or going through the U.K. and Schengen countries to be quarantined for 14 days, with Europe emerging as the new epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As of Tuesday, Vietnam has recorded 66 Covid-19 cases with 50 active infections. The previous 16 patients have been discharged.