Flights cancelled between South Korea and Vietnam

With COVID-19 reaching South Korea, airlines are cancelling flights to prevent further spread

Bamboo Airways announced cancelling all flights from Nha Trang and Danang to Incheon (in Seoul, South Korea). The routes have seven two-way flights a week. The cancellation lasts from February 26 until the time the COVID-19 outbreak is brought under control. Passengers who have already booked tickets to these flights will be eligible for a refund.

According to Vietnam Airlines, flights VN414 and VN415 between Incheon and Noi Bai International Airport on February 26, 28, and in the entirety of March will be cancelled. A representative of the airline said that the flight schedules were modified to comply with the directions of authorities on epidemic prevention.

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) in Vietnam said that Korean Air has already cancelled flights KE483 and 484 between Incheon and Noi Bai International Airport from February 25 to March 23, which includes six flights a day.

Air Seoul also informed to close the Hanoi-Seoul route in March 1-28, and approved refunding or exchanging tickets for passengers. This airline maintains the Seoul-Danang and Nha Trang routes.

Previously, Asiana Airlines reduced the number of flights OZ727, 728 between Seoul and Hanoi from February 18 to March 9 to two two-way flights a day.

T'Way Air has cancelled all flights between Hanoi and South Korea, which includes 12 flights a day between Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City and Seoul, Busan, and Daegu until March 28.

Tran Phuong Linh, representative of Ben Thanh Tourist said that all tours to South Korea in March have been broken off, along with half the tours to Japan, with the remainder subject to consideration in light to new developments in the COVID-19 epidemic.

According to the representative of Hana Tour, which focuses on the South Korean market, the volume of tourists between Vietnam and South Korea has dropped in this month. South Korea is the second-largest source market of tourists arriving in Vietnam (behind China) with the annual growth rate of 20 per cent.

With the COVID-19 epidemic reaching South Korea, numerous tourism companies anticipate a sharp decline in tourists. In order to control the epidemic, the local Ministry of Health has requested people arriving from South Korea to submit health declarations and to be isolated.