Asiana resumes flights to Hanoi in three months

Asiana Airlines said Sunday it has resumed flights to Hanoi after Vietnam exceptionally allowed 220 South Korean students to enter the country.

Since March 22, Vietnam has suspended the entry of all foreigners to contain the spread of COVID-19. In February, Asiana made an emergency return as the Vietnamese government refused to allow the plane from Korea to land at Hanoi.

Asiana said its OZ733 flight carrying 218 Korean students departed from Incheon International Airport at 9:20 a.m. on Sunday to arrive at Noi Bai International Airport at 12 p.m. (local time).

All Korean students will be self-quarantined for two weeks in accordance with local authorities’ guideline.

“The approval from the Hanoi airport was a one-off one, but it’s a significant progress for the resumption of flights between Korea and Vietnam. We expect normalization of flights between the two countries soon,” an Asiana Airlines official said.

To enter the Southeast Asian country, foreign carriers have been using the Van Don International Airport, about 140 kilometers away from the Noi Bai airport.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)