Vietnam Airlines suspends flights to South Korea

By Phuong Anh - Mar 03, 2020 | 11:18 AM GMT+7

TheLEADERVietnam Airlines is the second domestic airlines after Bamboo Airways to temporarily suspend Vietnam – South Korea flights to prevent the spread of Covid-19 epidemic.

Vietnam Airlines has announced a temporary suspension of all flights between Vietnam and South Korea from March 5 due to concerns over the recent development of the Covid-19 epidemic in the Northease Asian country.

The carrier's flights on March 3 and 4 from Incheon airport in Seoul and Gimhae airport in Busan to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will be rerouted to land at Van Don airport in Quang Ninh, Can Tho city and Phu Cat airport in Binh Dinh province, at the request of authorities.

To ensure everyone's safety, the entire crew on these flights will be equipped with medical protective gear. The airline also disinfects all aircraft returning from South Korea.

The airline will inform customers of the resumption of the South Korea routes as soon as the situation permits.

It is the second Vietnam’s airlines suspended the operation of Vietnam – South Korea due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic in the Northeast Asian country.

In recent days, South Korea reported record spikes in the number of new coronavirus cases recently, making it become new hotspot of Covid-19 after Wuhan city of China.

South Korea was Vietnam’s second-largest tourism market behind China, with 4.3 million visitors in 2019, up 23 per cent from a year earlier.

The government of Vietnam has decided to suspend the visa exemption for Korean nationals starting from February 29 amid soaring new cases of the coronavirus infection in South Korea. 

All incoming travellers from South Korea or have travel record to South Korea shall be subjected to mandatory 14-day isolation. The citizens from the country who want to enter Vietnam will have to obtain a suitable visa type issued by Vietnam.