Vietnam sends 220 Europeans home

A Bamboo Airways flight has taken 220 Europeans from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCMC to Lithuania Tuesday.

The flight was approved in according with a proposal from the European Union and the Lithuanian government, a Bamboo Airways spokesperson said.

It took off at 7 a.m. and will transit at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand, before landing at the Kaunas International Airport in Lithuania at 5:15 p.m. local time.

Among the 220 European citizens on board the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner are 120 Lithuanians.

It will not take on any passengers on the way back.

Vietnamese carriers have suspended all international flights to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The Bamboo Airways flight is the first flight to Lithuania by a Vietnamese carrier.

Before and after the flight, the entire cockpit, passenger compartment and cargo hold will be disinfected.

Prior to boarding, passengers were given a health check, ensured medical clearance and the maintenance of a minimum distance of two meters between two persons when queuing for check-in. Wearing a face mask during the flight is mandatory.

Bamboo Airways has cooperated with diplomatic agencies to carry out several flights on humanitarian considerations.

On March 25, a one-way flight from Hanoi to the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, brought back nearly 300 European citizens.

Vietnamese carriers including Vietnam Airlines have also operated several flights to bring Vietnamese stranded overseas home.

Since March 22, Vietnam has prohibited entry for all foreign nationals, including those of Vietnamese origin and family members with visa waivers. Only Vietnamese nationals and foreigners with diplomatic or official passports are allowed in, and all are quarantined for 14 days.

Vietnam had recorded 204 Covid-19 infections as of Tuesday morning.

By Thao Mien – VnExpress.net – March 31, 2020