COVID-19: More flights for passengers stranded in Da Nang

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi - The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked airlines to mobilise aircraft to take passengers out of the central city of Da Nang before 0:00am on July 28.

The administration requested airlines urgently send flight plans to its Air Transport Department for review and approval.

On the morning of July 27, airlines organised some flights to Da Nang with the aim of carrying passengers out of the city. The number of passengers buying tickets, however, fell short of expectations.

CAAV, however, still requires that airlines keep their flight plans and not cancel flights, in case of any sudden increase in demand following Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s guidance on the implementation of social distancing in Da Nang from the afternoon of July 27.

CAAV previously asked airport authorities to monitor flights from Da Nang at the request of the PM, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Health, and to keep track of passengers traveling from Da Nang to other localities to ensure timely information in case passengers are found to have COVID-19.

Da Nang International Airport is to use its international terminal to operate domestic flights.

If there is a request to quarantine passengers on flights from Da Nang to Hanoi and HCM City, CAAV and Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) are ready to organise health checks and quarantining for all passengers in the international terminals at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat International Airports, in line with guidance from the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

Meanwhile, the Vietnam Railway Corporation has said that given the complex developments surrounding COVID-19 in Da Nang, it will add more trains from the city to Hanoi and HCM City from July 27.

It will also change tickets without charge and return fares to passengers who purchased tickets to or from Da Nang, Tam Ky, and Quang Ngai stations between July 27 and August 12.

In order to ensure the safety of passengers and employees, the corporation has directed units to continue to strictly implement measures and abide by regulations on COVID-19 prevention at stations and on trains.

In the next few days, based on the actual situation and the travel needs of passengers, the railway sector will continue to adjust train schedules based on directions from the Government and the Ministry of Transport.