HCMC – The Ministry of Transport has asked the prime minister for permission to reduce daily flights from HCMC to Hanoi to two to prevent and reduce the spread of Covid-19.
The coronavirus, which causes the disease Covid-19, is raging in southern Vietnam, with 19 cities and provinces implementing the stay-at-home mandates. Therefore, the Hanoi City government, concerned about the spread of the transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus, has proposed scaling down air services between Hanoi and HCMC.
According to the ministry, the airports in southern Vietnam practicing the stay-at-home orders include Tan Son Nhat, Can Tho, Phu Quoc, Rach Gia, Ca Mau and Con Dao, the local media reported.
Flights from/to Rach Gia, Ca Mau and Con Dao have been suspended, while air services from/to Tan Son Nhat, Can Tho and Phu Quoc have been minimized.
At present, there is only one flight on each of Can Tho-Hanoi and Phu Quoc-Hanoi routes. Meanwhile, airlines have transported no more than 1,700 passengers per day on each direction of the HCMC-Hanoi route since July 9, with Vietnam Airlines transporting a maximum of 700 passengers per day, Pacific Airlines, 200 and Bamboo Airways and Vietjet, 400 each.
However, the number of air passengers on the HCMC-Hanoi route these days has been lower than the quota. Specifically, only 800-1,000 passengers fly from HCMC to Hanoi per day and 200-400 passengers travel from Hanoi to HCMC per day.
Based on the Hanoi government’s proposal, the Ministry of Transport suggested two plans on the operation of flights from the southern region to Hanoi.
As per the first plan, flights from Can Tho and Phu Quoc to Hanoi and vice versa will be suspended, while the number of passengers between HCMC and Hanoi will be cut to 800 per day.
This plan will help meet the demand from passengers who want to fly between Hanoi and HCMC. However, it will be hard to control the sources of coronavirus infection and the risk of virus transmission from HCMC to Hanoi will be high.
In the second plan, air services on air routes from Can Tho and Phu Quoc to Hanoi will be suspended, while there will be only two flights per day on the Hanoi-HCMC air route.
If this plan is approved, the number of passengers will be small, helping to control the pandemic and infection sources better.
To protect the capital city from Covid-19, the Ministry of Transport has chosen the second plan.
