Accordingly, the latest cancelled flights are VN63 from Hanoi to Moscow and VN570 from Ho Chi Minh City to Taipei (Taiwan – China).

Passengers buying tickets for flights between Vietnam and Russia and Taiwan (China) will be eligible for changing journeys or flight dates for free, starting from March 19.

Further information could be found on the website www.vietnamairlines.com, www.facebook.com/VietnamAirlines, Vietnam Airlines ticket agents, customer care hotline 1900 1100 (calling from Vietnam) or +842438320320 (calling from abroad).

Vietnam Airlines reports flight incident

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on March 18 reported that its Flight VN920 from Ho Chi Minh City to Cambodia’s Phnom Penh experienced a tire puncture while taxiing on a runway to take off from Tan Son Nhat international airport in the city.

The crew quickly settled the problem in accordance with provisions. The plane stopped on the runway and there was not any phenomenon like smoking, explosion or firing for the aircraft.

Following the incident, all passengers were brought to the terminal and they boarded another plane at 6pm the same day.

The plane in trouble has been towed to an apron, the carrier said.

Vietnam Airlines carries nearly 600 passengers finishing quarantine for free

Vietnam Airlines has been carrying nearly 600 passengers who finished their quarantine period for COVID-19 in Can Tho city and Quang Ninh province back to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City free of charge.

The national flag carrier said it has made six free flights from March 15 to 18 to bring more than 400 people finishing quarantine to the country’s two biggest cities. The nearly 200 others will be flown to Hanoi on the following days.

These passengers returned from the Republic of Korea on flights of Vietnam Airlines from March 1 to 4 and stayed at quarantine centres for 14 days at the request of authorities.

The airports of Can Tho (Can Tho city), Van Don (Quang Ninh province) and Phu Cat (Binh Dinh province) were designated to receive flights from the Republic of Korea, which has been hit hard by COVID-19, to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease.

According to regulations, epidemics are among the irresistible circumstances that an airline is not obliged to complete journeys for passengers. However, Vietnam Airlines still conducts flights free of charge to ensure its passengers’ interests, the firm said.

The carrier added passengers who bought tickets for flights which have been diverted due to the COVID-19 can also change their tickets free of charge.

Ministry announces latest flights carrying COVID-19 cases

The Ministry of Health on March 18 night announced two flights that landed in Vietnam over the last few days carrying passengers who have since tested positive for the acute respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

They are SilkAir flight MI632 from Singapore to central Da Nang city landing on March 14 and Vietnam Airlines flight VN54 from London to Hanoi arriving on March 13.

The ministry has called on all passengers on these flights to immediately contact the disease control centres in cities and provinces so they can be monitored accordingly.

Ticket agents for the flights have been instructed to inform all passengers.

Furthermore, passengers on Singapore Airline flight SQ323 from Amsterdam (the Netherlands) to Singapore on March 14 who then took a connecting flight to Vietnam have also been instructed to contact authorities to receive appropriate medical guidance.

As of March 18 night, Vietnam recorded 76 infection cases, of which 16 have been fully recovered.