Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam has no flights over areas involved in armed conflicts in the Middle East, according to the country’s Civil Aviation Authority.
A Vietnam Airlines (VNA) representative said that no VNA planes are flying over the airspace of countries that are directly or indirectly affected by military conflicts in the region, while private carriers VietJet Air and Jetstar Pacific only conduct flights in the Asia-Pacific.
Earlier, to ensure aviation safety, the Civil Aviation Authority ordered airlines not to fly directly over Middle East war zones.
It also asked the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation and the Airport Authorities in the northern, central and southern regions to keep a close watch on armed conflicts to provide updated information for airlines and units involved.
The order came nearly a month after the International Civil Aviation Organisation on October warned about possible risks to international civil air traffic in Tehran, Baghdad and Damascus as a result of armed conflict in Syria.
On October 31, Russia’s Kogalymavia Flight 9268 crashed in northern Sinai while en route to Pulkovo Airport, Saint Petersburg from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport, Egypt. All 224 passengers and crew members aboard died.-VNA