International flights are waiting for a rainbow after the storm

After almost two years of “hibernation”, some international flight routes are resuming as many countries have successfully controlled the Covid-19 pandemic in their territories and come closer to “herd immunity” thanks to rising vaccinations.

Positive signs

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) recently issued an urgent dispatch allowing airlines to resume inbound flights through two international airports of Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat. This action re-emphasized the importance of international flights, especially after the global fight against the Covid-19 pandemic has shown positive signs in many countries that have gradually reached “herd immunity” thanks to massive vaccination campaigns. International flights have also been resumed on many routes thanks to the implementation of “vaccine passports”.

According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam has purchased 170 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine in order to vaccinate 70% of its population. Vietnam also uploaded more than 97 million vaccination records to its data management system. This system will be linked to other similar international systems to provide passengers’ vaccination status via QR code when the “vaccine passport” system comes into operation. Vietnam has also developed policies to pilot “vaccine passports” for international passengers arriving in certain tourism destinations that have the pandemic under control, such as Phu Quoc Island in Kien Giang. These efforts are means to adapt to the new situation of global pandemic control.

Opening borders

Given that over 20 million doses of vaccines were administered in a week, the European Union (EU) is optimistic that the pandemic will soon be under control and is looking to ease immigration restrictions. The European Parliament also voted to approve the Digital Green Certificate (a type of Covid-19 pass) that allows European citizens to travel freely in the Schengen area as of July 1st. On June 8th, 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eased travel recommendations on 100 countries and territories, among which Vietnam was categorized as “Level 1” – the safest assessment level at this time.

In Europe and North America, the sky is getting busy again, while beaches, museums, resorts, and hotels are welcoming back guests. Many countries that were Covid-19 hotspots, including France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, are re-opening their borders. Notably, Greece has allowed tourists from around 50 countries, including non-EU ones, to visit the  country. On June 7th, 2021, all airlines operating routes between England and America called for the lifting of Transatlantic travel restrictions to avoid missing out on the recovery window for airlines during the peak season.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecast, global tourism and aviation growth will bounce back and strongly recover in 2021 as countries are trying to resume international flights.

A chance of recovery

Vietnam Airlines is the first Vietnamese carrier to trial “vaccine passports” and is coordinating with the IATA to implement the pilot phase of the IATA Travel Pass – a digital health passport – in June 2021. This effort is not only an attempt to create a seamless travel experience for passengers but also encourages citizens to get vaccinated so as to achieve “herd immunity” and “break the ice” for the aviation and tourism industries.

Some developed countries including the United States, which is an important aviation and travel market for Vietnam, will soon achieve “herd immunity” thanks to their large and even overstocked supply of vaccines. Just recently, Vietnam Airlines was officially granted the “Foreign Air Operator Certificate” (FAOC) by Transport Canada to operate flights to this country. The FAOC is valid from June 11, 2021 without any limit on the number of flights, nor expiration date. Before, Vietnam Airlines received permission from U.S. authorities (including the Transportation Security Administration – TSA) to conduct 12 repatriation flights this year. As of now, Vietnam Airlines is still the first and only airline in the country to receive a license from the TSA to operate flights to the U.S. The carrier is also planning to re-open international flights, including those to Europe, in the third quarter so as to create a breakthrough in business results in 2021.

According to many specialists, aviation plays the pioneering role in socio-economic development and international integration. Every international traveler coming to Vietnam brings ten times more revenues and profits to the tourism industry than a domestic one. These travelers can also contribute to promoting “on-the-spot exports”, and creating jobs and income for other industries. All in all, despite many remaining challenges and obstacles, it is crucial to speed up the re-opening of international flights and add new travel routes so as to not miss out on chances to recover and capitalize on Vietnam’s successes in fighting the pandemic.