After the first flights carrying international tourists to Phu Quoc Island scheduled in late November, similar flights to take foreign visitors to other localities such as Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh and others will be organized. Regular international flights are expected to resume by early 2022.

The news was revealed by Vu Hong Quang, Deputy Head of the Air Transport Bureau of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, at a seminar on October 14.

The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam is coordinating with international aviation authorities to organize charter flights to Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island, even from destinations where Vietnam has yet to have an air route.

According to Quang, giving vaccinations is the top priority so that by early 2022 regular international flights can reopen.

At a meeting with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism on October 13 on preparing conditions to resume international flights to Phu Quoc, Quang said that the island has prepared well to welcome international guests.

“As soon as Phu Quoc successfully welcomes 1 to 5 international flights, this can then be applied to Khanh Hoa, Quang Ninh, ... then be expanded to regular international flights to other localities from early 2022," Quang said.

Regarding domestic air routes, he said that the reopening of some routes within 10 days (October 10 to 20) is a rehearsal for local airports and airlines before full reopening. During this pilot period, airlines have not yet set profit targets, Quang said.

Dang Anh Tuan, Head of the Communication Department of Vietnam Airlines, said that the airline is implementing 16 air routes. The Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City route is the most crowded, with flights on October 10-12 nearly full occupied. The flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Thanh Hoa, and Hue are nearly fully booked. For other routes, the booking rates are low.

The Ministry of Transport has agreed to open Ho Chi Minh City - Ca Mau and Hanoi - Dien Bien air routes, with one flight per day for each route.

Thus, the total number of air routes in the pilot phase of reopening is 21, with 21 round-trip flights/day, including routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Binh Dinh/Da Nang/Hue/Khanh Hoa/Nghe An/ Phu Yen/Quang Binh/Quang Nam/Thanh Hoa/Hai Phong/Phu Quoc/Gia Lai/Rach Gia/Ca Mau with 1 round trip/day; a route from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City/Da Nang/Dien Bien with 1 round trip/day; a route from Da Nang to Can Tho and Dak Lak with 1 round trip per day; a route from Thanh Hoa to Lam Dong with 1 round trip/day. The Hanoi - Can Tho route can be flexibly operated at the request of the competent State agency.

Ngoc Ha