Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnamese airlines has prepared plans an🍨d set aside resources to repatriate Vietnamese citizens from Ukraine by evacuating them to areas that allow safe flights to bring them home.

Waiting for directions

Currently, all commercial airline flights are banned from Ukrainian skies and those of the southwest part of Russia. Domestic airlines said that they have drafted plans to fly to several locations in Europe, which are Warsaw (Poland), Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Bratislava (Slovakia), Moscow (Russia) and Minsk (Belarus) to transport Vietnamese and their families in Ukraine to Vietnam. The airlines revealed that they are also ready to fly to any other locations decided by the Government on the principle of ensuring safety and convenience for Vietnamese citizens and their families. Vietnam Airlines reported that it has completed six flying plans to transport Vietnamese citizens in Ukraine to Vietnam in the priority order of Hanoi - Warsaw, Hanoi - Bucharest, Hanoi – Budapest, Hanoi – Bratislava, Hanoi – Moscow, and Hanoi – Minsk. Each one-way flight takes 9-14 hours. Meanwhile, a representative from Bamboo Airways said that the airline is ready to operate seven routes to bring Vietnamese in Ukraine home. They are those linking Hanoi with Prague (the Czech Republic), Bucharest (Romania), Warsaw (Poland), Budapest (Hungary), Bratislava (Slovakia), Moscow (Russia), and Minsk (Belarus). Bamboo Airways affirmed it has adequate experience, resources and a well-prepared operation plan to ensure the successful implementation of these repatriation flights. At the same time, Vietjet Air has also proposed the arrangement of free flights to bring Vietnamese citizens home from Warsaw. It expects to operate the flights on March 6.

Safety for Vietnamese citizens prioritised

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they informed that there are currently about 7,000 Vietnamese in Ukraine, with most of them being in Kiev (800 people), Kharkiv (3,000), and Odessa (3,000). The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said that the expected option is that the citizens will move by land to neighbouring countries and then flights will be organised to bring them home from there. Those in Kiev will move to Poland, in Kharkiv to Russia, and in Odessa to Moldova or Romania. CAAV leaders said that along with these location, Vietnamese airlines is willing to send flights to any places included in the Government’s plan, with the principle of ensuring safety and creating maximum convenience for Vietnamese citizens and their family members in Ukraine to return home. As of March 2 afternoon (Vietnam time), most of the citizens in Kyiv and Odessa, along with hundreds of others in Kharkov, had been evacuated and moving to nearby countries. Among them, 140 moved from Ukraine to Poland and are currently in Warsaw, 70 to Romania, and about 30 to Hungary. About 220 people went to Moldova and will then depart for Romania, the representative agencies reported. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that its citizen protection team and Vietnam’s representative agencies in Ukraine and neighbouring countries have been working actively to help move Vietnamese people in Ukraine out of war zones. The agencies have been assisting the citizens to handle the necessary procedures for their entry and transit. They have also been coordinating with local authorities and Vietnamese people’s associations in the host countries to arrange temporary accommodations and provide essentials for the citizens. The ministry has directed the Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine to operate a round-the-clock hotline to receive information of Vietnamese citizens. For assistance, Vietnamese citizens can contact the embassy’s hotline at: + 380 (63) 863 8999 or contact the ministry’s Consular Department at + 84-981-848-484. They can also contact the hotline of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs at +84 24 38240 401, extension 0 or 100 in working time./.