Vietnam stops selling domestic flight tickets

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) on Monday requested airlines to stop selling tickets for domestic flights until further notice.

Airlines would need to refund tickets for customers who’ve already purchased theirs from July 21, the CAAV added.

The number of flights from cities and localities under Covid-19 social distancing orders as dictated by Directive 16 would be limited as well, it said.

Since July, the CAAV has requested airlines to limit the number of flights from socially distancing localities to Hanoi amid concerning coronavirus threats. The Hanoi-HCMC flight route, an important one, has been limited to two flights a day at maximum.

Domestic flight passengers must present effective negative coronavirus test papers.

Vietnam closed its borders and canceled all international flights in March last year, and has since allowed only certain categories of visitors with strict Covid-19 quarantine requirements.

The country has recorded 445,292 local Covid-19 cases since the fourth coronavirus wave hit Vietnam in late April.