Major airports suspend receiving passenger flights from RoK amid COVID-19

The Hanoi-based Noi Bai International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City has suspended receiving flights carrying passengers from the Republic of Korea (RoK) due to the complicated developments of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as from March 1, said the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAV). 

Instead, such flights will land at Van Don (Quang Ninh province) and Can Tho international airports.

Flights carrying goods from the RoK could still land at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat airports as scheduled.

Earlier, the Ministry of Transport had instructed the CAV to direct airlines to divert flights from epidemic areas of the RoK to land at Van Don, Phu Cat, and Can Tho airports.

Airlines are responsible for notifying all passengers traveling from the RoK to Vietnam to fill in the health declaration form and recommend passengers who are Vietnamese living, studying or working in the RoK consider buying tickets to Vietnam as they need 14-day quarantine.

According to the CAV, the number of passengers from the RoK to Vietnam has increased over the past few days with thousands of people every day.

On February 28, it issued an urgent notice to domestic and foreign airlines operating flights to/from Vietnam, Vietnam Airport Corporation (ACV), Van Don International Airport, northern, central and southern airport authorities on the suspension of visa exemption for RoK nationals.

So far, Vietnam has confirmed 16 COVID-19 patients, all of whom fully recovered. The country hasn't recorded any new cases since February 13.