Vietnam Airlines is cutting its domestic network to a handful of flights on trunk routes in response to tighter government restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through Apr. 15, the carrier will generally only operate one return flight per day between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and between these two cities and both Danang and Phu Quoc. This will give the airline 4-5 return flights per day in total.
The Ho Chi Minh City-Hanoi route was one of the top-10 domestic routes in the world in 2019 as measured by flight numbers. For the week of Mar. 23, Vietnam Airlines had 152 one-way frequencies from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, according to data from CAPA and OAG. This gave it a 33.3% share of frequencies in that market. Rival VietJet had 172 frequencies on that route for a 37.6% share during the same week.
Flights on the five routes will be maintained primarily to “serve urgent travel needs,” Vietnam Airlines said. The specific flight schedule will be adjusted according to operational needs. Other routes will be temporarily suspended until further notice.
The carrier is taking a range of measures to protect passengers from exposure to the virus. All flight, cabin and technical crew will be issued with full protective gear and will also all be tested for COVID-19. Passengers will also be required to wear face masks onboard, and passengers and crew will have their temperatures taken before boarding.
Since Mar. 25, all aircraft on domestic flights have been disinfected upon landing at Hanoi, Danang, or Ho Chi Minh City, and again at the end of the day.
Separately, Vietnam Airlines announced it has closed its business class lounges at domestic airports in Vietnam from Mar. 30.
Related Content
