According to information from the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, airlines recommend that this agency continue to work with the Chinese side to have a policy to relax the slot usage (time of landing) rules for the summer 2023 flight schedule. In addition, the airline also wants relevant agencies to have a visa policy suitable for Chinese tourists to attract this number of tourists to fully restore the flight path between two countries soon.
Passengers at Noi Bai International Airport. Photo: Minh Duy
Difficulties in the first phase of connecting flights
China has lifted restrictions on regular international flights and relaxed some medical quarantine and immigration policies imposed on January 8.
According to information from Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Administration, the agency has been working with airlines including Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airlines and Vietravel Airlines to relaunch routes to China.
The airlines said that the first phase of fully restoring flight routes to China, specifically with the summer 2023 flight schedule (from March 26 to October 28), will maintain the same frequency as the previous phase. Before translation, preserving the historical slot (time of landing) for the summer of 2024 is a difficult problem. Especially with flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Therefore, airlines recommend that the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam continue to cooperate with the Civil Aviation Administration of China to have a policy to relax the slot usage rules for summer 2023 flight schedule on a mutual basis. , applies to airlines in both countries.
In addition, aviation enterprises have proposed to the Ministry of Transport to consult with the relevant ministries and sectors to propose a visa policy suitable for Chinese tourists to facilitate the recovery and development of aviation and tourism markets.
The main source of passengers on the routes between Vietnam and China are tourists. In 2019, China is the largest market for Chinese tourists sending tourists to Vietnam with more than 5.8 million visitors, accounting for a third of the total number of international visitors to Vietnam at that time, according to data from the National Administration of Tourism.
How are regular flights connected?
According to information from the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam, China’s Civil Aviation Administration allows airlines to resume regular flights at the frequency specified in the bilateral aviation agreement agreements. Restrictions on the number of international passenger flights and limits on the number of passengers carried are lifted.
Regarding the time of landing (slot), airlines can restore flights as before the Covid-19 pandemic, using historical slots based on the principle of reciprocity.
With regard to permits to fly, airlines currently licensed to operate suitable international passenger flights can apply to resume operations approved for the 2019 winter schedule. January 2023 is being considered.
On December 9, 2022, the first regular commercial flight between Vietnam and China resumed after nearly three years of interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a Vietnam Airlines flight flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Guangzhou.
Notes for people who want to go to China
People who want to enter China must take a PCR test within 48 hours before departure. If the test results are negative, they are allowed to enter the country, they do not need to apply for a health code at the Chinese embassy abroad, but they have to fill out the test results and the Customs Entry Health Code Card.
If the results are positive, the person entering the country must wait for the negative result to be admitted. China is abolishing regulation of PCR testing for all passengers upon entry.
People entering the country with valid health declarations according to the quarantine regulations of the customs office at the border gate are allowed to enter the country without isolation. If there are any signs, symptoms of fever… the customs office will test for antigens.
Test cases found positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, mild symptoms or no symptoms can be isolated for treatment at home, in isolation or self-treatment. Other cases need to go to medical facilities for treatment.
@ Thesaigontimes
