HANOI, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has asked Vietnamese airlines not to sell flight tickets for domestic routes until further notice given the complicated situation of COVID-19 in the country, Vietnam News Agency reported Tuesday.
In a document sent Monday, the CAAV said the suspension is to strictly comply with anti-pandemic regulations and to ensure the interest of customers.
According to the CAAV, domestic airlines are currently being asked to minimize flights from provinces and cities which are under social-distancing orders to the capital Hanoi.
Specifically, flights between Hanoi and the southern cities of Can Tho and Phu Quoc have been suspended, and there are only two flights per day between Hanoi and the epidemic epicenter Ho Chi Minh City, the news agency said.
However, there are no restrictions on cargo flights yet, the CAAV said. Regarding flights serving COVID-19 control and public services, airlines must report to the authority on a case-by-case basis.
Vietnam is still fighting its worst COVID-19 infection wave so far which started in late April, with 445,291 locally transmitted cases and over 11,000 deaths reported nationwide as of Monday, according to the country's Ministry of Health. Enditem
