240 Vietnamese in the US repatriated

240 Vietnamese in the US repatriated

240 Vietnamese in the US were returned home on flight VN5 from Washington D.C (USA) to land at Cam Ranh airport, Khanh Hoa on the night of June 24.

This is the first flight of Vietnamese airlines to bring citizens home from the US, licensed by the US aviation authorities in 2021.

Flight VN5 operated by Vietnam Airlines, this is a wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, departing from Hanoi, passing through a stop at Anchorage (Alaska) for refueling. After that, the plane goes to Washington, D.C. to pick up passengers and then back to Alaska, continuing to fly back to Vietnam.

The flight, with a return journey lasting more than 36 hours, departed from Noi Bai airport on the morning of June 22 and landed safely at Cam Ranh airport at 0:00 on June 25. The airline arranged a crew of nearly 30 people, double the regular flight to Europe to ensure the health of the flight crew.

Vietnam Airlines aircraft landed at Washington Dulles International Airport. Photo: VNA

The passenger compartment is designed for level 4 disease prevention - the highest level in the Covid-19 safety standard system, to minimize the risk of infection. Before boarding, everyone will be medically checked, wear protective gear, limit contact with each other during the flight and will be isolated in concentration when returning to Vietnam.

In early June, Vietnam Airlines applied for a permit for 12 flights to the US in 2021 to welcome Vietnamese citizens home. The work of applying for a flight license from the US authorities is the most complicated, taking 2.5 months to complete.

In 2020, the airline operated more than 20 flights between Vietnam and the US.

(VNExpress)