Vietjet Air will halt flights from/to RoK from March 7. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi(VNA) – Low-cost carrier Vietjet Air has announced it will temporarily halt flights between Vietnam and theRepublic of Korea starting March 7 as the number of COVID-19 cases in the RoK continues to rise.
The airlinesaid its services have beenbrought up to the highest international standards and recommendations forepidemic control made by the International Air Transport Association (IATA),the World Health Organisation (WHO) and domestic aviation authorities to ensuresafety for all passengers and crew.
Before itservices are suspended, Vietjet Air will fly a number of Koreans back home freeof charge with measures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of thepassengers and crew members.
With thisannouncement, all flights between the two countries operated by four Vietnamese carriers have been halted because of the COVID-19 epidemic.
National flagcarrier Vietnam Airlines will suspend its flights between the two countries from March 5while Bamboo Airways halted services on this route on February 26.
According tothe Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAA), before the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, Vietnam Airlines,Vietjet Air, Bamboo Airways and Jetstar Pacific were operating 182 flights per week per way connecting Vietnam’s Cam Ranh, Da Lat, HaiPhong, Da Nang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with Busan, Incheon, South Jeolla, Gangwon, Cheongwon-gu and Daegu inthe RoK.
Meanwhile, eightRoK airlines have run 381 flightsper week per way on ten routes between the two countries.
Koreansaccounted for 23.1 percent of Vietnamese airlines’ foreign flyers and because of the epidemic, the number ofVietnam-RoK flights had dropped by 60 percent as of February 24.
Vietnam also suspended visa-free entry for RoK citizensas from 0:00 on February 29 amid the complicated developments of the COVID-19epidemic in the RoK./.
VNA
