Needless to say, aviation has been among busineses being hit the hardest in the pandemic, with numerous airlines having to ground most of their fleets due to the paralized air transport industry. For Vietjet, the tough time has still allowed the private air carrier to continue operation with a special focus: attending to the community.
Since early this year, Vietjet has conducted multiple community activities, especially those adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Specially, the airline has launched numerous fly-ins, transporting medical workers and equipment free of charge to where such resources are needed. The low-cost air carrier aims to join hands with the Government to win over the pandemic and help local residents to return to a new normal life.
Transporting medical workers and equipment
The Covid-19 pandemic has heavily affected the aviation sector as most of flights have been suspended and Vietjet has not been an outsider to the crisis. Despite the difficulties triggered by the pandemic, the airline has enthusiastically supported the community in fighting the pandemic through multiple practical activities.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in Vietnam early last year, Vietjet has operated multiple flights repatriating more than 150,000 Vietnamese citizens from other countries, including China, Japan and South Korea, and transporting thousands of tons of medical equipment.
Especially, during the fourth Covid-19 wave, Vietjet has coordinated with the Ministry of Health to transport over 3,000 medical workers to southern localities to help treat Covid-19 patients there.
The air carrier has also transported medical equipment from overseas to Vietnam. In August, for example, it transported hundreds of ventilators and other medical equipment from Germany to Vietnam at no charge to serve the anti-Covid fight.
In addition, Vietjet and HDBank – both under the umbrella of SOVICO Group – have presented 10 ambulances to the HCMC Department of Health to transport Covid-19 cases to treatment facilities. They have also sponsored equipment for over 1,000 beds at facilities for critical Covid-19 case treatment.
Most recently, Vietjet, SOVICO Group and HDBank have donated VND200 billion to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCMC to conduct ongoing Covid-19 tests on two million teachers, delivery people, traders at wholesale markets and other residents at no charge from October 1 to 15.
Besides HCMC, Vietjet, SOVICO, HDBank and Phu Long Real Estate JSC have presented ambulances, beds, ventilators and test kits to many localities, including Hanoi, Danang, Binh Duong, Ben Tre, Can Tho, Hau Giang, Long An, Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen.
Especially, at a ceremony to launch the Covid-19 vaccine fund, Vietjet CEO Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao represented SOVICO, Vietjet and HDBank to contribute VND100 billion to the fund.
Dinh Viet Phuong, managing director of Vietjet, said the air carrier had considered supporting the fight against the pandemic as its mission and responsibility. The firm is always willing to accompany the Government and the people to win over the pandemic.
Meals for the poor
Apart from transporting medical workers and military and police officers to southern localities, Vietjet has also launched a program to provide meals, food and necessities to poor and disadvantaged people in HCMC.
After a month, up to 600,000 meals have been provided to medical workers at field hospitals, people at centralized quarantine centers and underprivileged people.
Additionally, gift sets, including rice, instant noodles and spices, have been presented to the needy in areas under lockdown in HCMC.
In total, Vietjet has spent more than VND70 billion on community activities in HCMC during the social distancing period.
Besides the material support, Vietjet has coordinated with subsidiaries of SOVICO Group to organize two virtual concerts to encourage the spirit to fight the pandemic through emotional pieces of music and spread the positive energy and optimism to local residents during the pandemic.
Vietjet’s CSR programs have been significantly supported by its employees through practical activities. All of them expect the pandemic will be brought under control soon and residents can enjoy a new normal life.
For Vietjet as well as SOVICO Group, social corporate responsibility is a key part of its sustainable development vision, and as such, part of the profit is allocated to support the community, which amounts to hundreds of billions of Vietnam dong a year. Such generous contribution to the community can be considered investment in sustainable development, which, in turn, helps Vietjet maintain its indefatigable wings.
