Aviation authorities seek to resume domestic flights from Tuesday

Hanoi is not on the list of 19 localities as the city authorities earlier proposed continuing suspension of commercial flights to the capital to ensure pandemic prevention.

Under the aviation authority's plan, there would be 132 daily return flights from Ho Chi Minh City to 18 other localities.

In southern Vietnam, domestic carriers would be allowed to operate 24 daily flights from Kien Giang, home to popular resort island Phu Quoc, 15 flights from Con Dao Island in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, and 11 flights from the Mekong Delta's Can Tho.

In central Vietnam, aviation authorities plan to resume 43 daily flights from Da Nang, nine from Thua Thien-Hue, six from Quang Binh and eight from Quang Nam, home to UNESCO heritage sites.

There would be 20 flights from Khanh Hoa Province, home to beach towns Nha Trang and Cam Ranh, seven from Phu Yen and 11 from Binh Dinh.

In northern and north-central regions, airlines would operate two flights from Dien Bien, three from Quang Ninh, 20 from Hai Phong, 11 from Thanh Hoa and 19 from Nghe An.

In the Central Highlands, there would be 23 flights from Lam Dong Province, home to resort town Da Lat, 14 flights from Dak Lak and nine from Gia Lai Province.

All passengers must furnish a negative Covid certificate obtained via PCR or rapid testing within 72 hours before departure and comply with pandemic prevention measures.

Those getting one dose of a Covid vaccine three weeks before departure, or having been fully vaccinated, or having recovered from the coronavirus would be exempt from Covid testing.

Amid rampant Covid-19 outbreaks, aviation authorities in late August requested airlines to stop selling tickets for domestic flights until further notice. Flights that carry goods and coronavirus forces remain functional.

The country has still not allowed international flights to resume, except in certain cases.

During the fourth coronavirus wave that began in late April, the country has recorded over 793,000 infections.

With vaccine coverage in focus, many localities have begun easing lockdown measures and resuming tourism activities after the pandemic situation had been basically contained.