The flights were organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnamese Embassy in France, the national flag carrier and relevant agencies in both countries.

After arriving at Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh, the passengers received check-ups and were sent to quarantine centres.

The flight to France on May 5 carried medical supplies as a gift from the Vietnamese Government and people for their French counterparts.

Amid the lockdown in France due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese Embassy has coordinated with the Vietnamese community in the country to help citizens return home.

Based on the Prime Minister’s directions, the pandemic’s developments and local quarantine capacity, relevant agencies plan to organise more commercial flights to bring overseas Vietnamese citizens home.

Regarding flights to repatriate Vietnamese citizens from the US, the Foreign Ministry said the ministry, the embassy and other representative bodies of Vietnam in the US have been working with agencies on both sides to help Vietnam Airlines swiftly deal with procedures for flights as soon as possible.

The national flag carrier has completed necessary procedures at the request of US authorities for a flight scheduled for May 7.

The Foreign Ministry asked Vietnamese citizens to comply with the host country’s anti-COVID-19 regulations and Vietnamese representative bodies’ guidelines.

It noted that the Consulate General in San Francisco and other representative agencies of Vietnam in the US have been making every effort to assist citizens pending their flight.

To seek help, citizens can liaise with the Vietnamese Embassy in the US via phone numbers 001.202.716.8666/ 001.202.999.6938/ 001.202.999.6589, the Consulate General in San Francisco via 001.415.619.2951/ 001.415.319.5446, the Consulate General in Houston via 001.346.775.0555, the Vietnamese mission in New York via 001.929.523.5888/ 001.917.513.8688/ 001.646.799.5789, or the Consular Department via +84.981.84.84.84./.VNA