Vietnam suspends domestic flights in and out of popular city after attempting to repatriate 80,000 tourists

Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has suspended all domestic passenger flights to and from the city of Da Nang for 15 days.

The flight halt, became effective on 28 July, comes not long after the Ministry ordered domestic airlines to increase the number of flights from Da Nang to repatriate roughly 80,000 tourists in the city due to an outbreak of coronavirus cases in the Vietnamese city.

On Sunday, The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) granted permission to Bamboo Airways, Pacific Airlines and VietJet Air to carry out more flights from the city.

However, CAAV deputy director Vo Huy Cuong told Reuters on Tuesday that all evacuation flights have now been cancelled.

“We operated 90 flights to evacuate tourists stranded in Danang yesterday, but most tourists had already left Danang on Sunday, mostly by coach or train to nearby provinces,” he said.

Authorities from Danang said approximately 18,000 tourists who had been in the city have returned to Ho Chi Minh City, according to Reuters.

Vietnam confirmed 16 new COVID-19 patients in the three days prior to the flight suspension, including 15 cases linked to three hospitals in Da Nang.

The Ministry of Transport has also decided to halt road passenger transport within Da Nang as well as to and from the city, except for transportation of patients, workers and experts working for business establishments, food and foodstuff, and goods.

Popular for its beaches and proximity to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Da Nang is the fourth-largest city in Vietnam, and basically acts as the halfway point between the county’s capital, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Featured image source: iStock/kokkai