TGVN. The special commercial flight of Vietnam Airlines has brought more than 100 Brits nationals and people of other nationalities home together with 2.5 tonnes of medical supplies from the Vietnamese government.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the British Embassy in Vietnam, with the support of Vietnamese government agencies, has partnered with Vietnam Airlines to lay on a special commercial flight to help more than 100 British nationals, as well as people of other nationalities, return to the UK.
The flight was organized in partnership with the British Embassy in Cambodia and the Irish Embassy in Vietnam. Its journey began in Phnom Penh around midnight April 13, then picked up passengers in Ha Noi before heading off to London.
Not only did this flight help repatriate British travelers in Vietnam who were affected by COVID-19 and global travel restrictions, but it also strengthened the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the UK. The plane carried 2.5 tonnes of medical supplies, including 140,000 facemasks, gifted by the Vietnamese government and people to aid the UK in combating COVID-19.
Realizing that some Brits are facing financial hardships due to job loss or flight cancellations, the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) also provides financial support by way of a loan to help them return to their families.
British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward and several embassy staff were present at the airport in the early hours of 14 April to organize wheelchairs, visa extensions and financial advice for Brits before they boarded the plane home. Embassy staff also prepared a pack of facemasks for each passenger.
Ambassador Ward said: “I was pleased to see more than a hundred British nationals return to the UK on this special commercial flight. Thank you to the Vietnamese government and Vietnam Airlines for helping the UK fight COVID-19 and getting Brits home.”
All flight crewmembers were equipped with medical protective gear. Before boarding, body temperature and health checks, as well as interviews, were conducted for all passengers. The passengers were required to wear facemasks for the entirety of the flights. To limit possible infection from reusable items, Vietnam Airlines did not provide hot in-flight meals and magazines on these flights.
The British Embassy in Vietnam has been in close contact with Vietnamese authorities to support and provide consular assistance to British nationals who are affected by COVID-19. The British Ambassador, British Consul-General and other staff members continue to work in Ha Noi and HCMC to support British citizens and strengthen the diplomatic relations and friendship between Vietnam and the UK.
The British Embassy in Vietnam has been in close contact with Vietnamese authorities to support and provide consular assistance to British nationals who are affected by COVID-19. The British Ambassador, British Consul-General and other staff members continue to work in Ha Noi and HCMC to support British citizens and strengthen the diplomatic relations and friendship between Vietnam and the UK. The Embassy advises all British nationals in Vietnam to follow our FCO Travel Advice on https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/vietnam.
Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said over the past time, the Foreign Ministry has worked with Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, and domestic and ...
