Noi Bai Airport welcomes first int'l flight on reopening day of tourism

Tuesday, 15/03/2022 18:10
Hanoi-based Noi Bai International Airport welcomed the first international commercial flight on March 15 morning after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

International flights to be restored without frequency restriction

Flight SQ192 from Singapore to Hanoi is operated by Singapore Airlines. (Photo: VNA)

Flight SQ192 from Singapore to Hanoi, operated by Singapore Airlines, marks a milestone as Vietnam fully opens its doors to international visitors, said Nguyen Thi Kim Nga, Deputy Director of Noi Bai International Airport.   

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said country has resumed services to foreign tourists from March 15, noting that domestic airlines have geared up for the restoration. 

Vietnam fully opens its doors to international visitors from March 15. (Photo: VNA)

To prepare for the increased frequency of international flights, the carriers have stepped up recruitment to fill up the layoffs triggered by the pandemic, the authority added.

According to the airlines, they allow international passengers to refund and change tickets free of charge since there have been no entry regulations in the new situation issued yet.

Bui Doan Ne, Secretary General of the Vietnam Aviation Business Association (VABA), said his association has proposed ministries and agencies restore the visa exemption policy for foreign arrivals, which was in force before the pandemic, and include more countries into the list.

Regulations on medical quarantine and testing should be scrapped to help foreign tourists feel secure in Vietnam, he suggested.

Many enterprises also shared the view that stringent regulations make it hard for them to approach international holidaymakers who would choose other countries with relaxed procedures.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has asked the Ministry of Health to quickly adjust entry regulations, making them match the latest situation.

Such adjustments should be sent to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) before March 15 for perfection and announcement, the Deputy PM requested in a document.

He also urged ministries, agencies and localities to coordinate with the MCST to safely and effectively launch tourism activities which, he stressed, should be convenient for tourists.

COVID-19: new cases drop by over 89,300 on March 15

A total 175,468 cases of COVID-19 were recorded in the past 24 hours from 4pm March 14 to 4pm March 15, including 15 imported cases, according to the Ministry of Health.

Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)

Hanoi continued to report the highest number of infections on the day with 26,708 cases, followed by Nghe An with 10,752 and Phu Tho with 9,062.

The national tally reached 6,552,918.

There are 4,269 patients in critical conditions, while an additional 68 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, taking the total fatalities to 41,548, equal to 0.7 percent of the total caseload. 

A total 111,164 patients were given the all-clear, taking the total number of recoveries to 3,383,142.

By March 14, the country had injected 200,516,229 doses of vaccines to date.

Industrial production index up 8.5 percent in February

Vietnam's index of industrial production (IIP) in February rose by 8.5 percent year-on-year, marking the fourth consecutive monthly increase, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

The processing and manufacturing industry, which accounted for over 70 percent of total industrial output, still played a main driver of the growth.

The ministry said the resumption of supply chains in key industries in the first quarter has helped remove bottlenecks in the manufacturing supply chain.

According to Tim Leelahaphan, economist for Vietnam and Thailand at Standard Chartered Bank, Vietnam’s manufacturing activities have been proven resilient to shocks after reopening.

The MoIT said it is necessary to ensure the sufficient supply of raw materials and energy to create momentum for, and meet the needs of production and business recovery and socio-economic development in next months.

Attention should be also paid to resolving difficulties facing key industrial projects, and factories to help them maintain and recover gradually their production activities, it added.

Vietnam waives visas for citizens from 13 countries

The Vietnamese Government on March 15 issued a resolution on visa waivers for citizens from 13 countries namely Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Belarus.

Vietnam waives visas for citizens from 13 countries. - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Citizens of the above-mentioned countries will enjoy 15 days of visa-free travel in Vietnam beginning from their date of entry regardless of the kind of passport and entry purpose, on the basis of satisfying all conditions as prescribed by Vietnamese law.

The resolution is to stay in effect for a period of three years until at least March 14, 2025, with a renewal to be reviewed by relevant authorities in accordance with Vietnamese law.

This resolution is effective immediately and replaces Resolution 21/NQ-CP dated February 28, 2020, Resolution 23/NQ-CP dated March 2,2020, Resolution 29/NQ-CP dated March 11, 2020, and Resolution 33/NQ-CP dated March 19, 2020 on the temporary suspension of unilateral visa exemptions./.

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