Vietnam to resume international flights on 9 routes in January

They are San Francisco or Los Angeles (the U.S.), Singapore, Bangkok (Thailand), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Vientiane (Laos), Beijing/Guangzhou (China), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), and Taipei (Taiwan).

The resumption of regular flights is meant to restore international passenger transport activities, speed up economic and tourism recovery and enable overseas Vietnamese to return to their homeland for the upcoming Lunar New Year, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said in a government directive.

He also stressed that while resumption of flights is necessary, effective pandemic control must continue.

The Ministry of Health has been instructed to consult experts, businesses and the public to issue fresh entry guidelines for people coming on regular international flights.

The foreign affairs ministry will continue negotiations to reach agreements with other countries and territories on mutual recognition of "vaccine passports," with priority for areas to where flights will first resume.

The health, public security and information and communications ministries will soon release the medical declaration software for use by air travelers and businesses and for monitoring and tracing visitors.

Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam on Wednesday instructed the health ministry to scrap the seven-day mandatory quarantine and allow fully vaccinated passengers to self-isolate on arrival.

Vietnam grounded international flights in March last year, for a long time allowing in only its nationals, foreign experts, investors, and highly-skilled workers coming by special flights.