First Vietnamese flight carrying medical supplies from the US arrives in Hanoi

A flight operated by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines carrying 277 Vietnamese people and 6.2 tonnes of medical supplies donated by Vietnamese people in the US arrived at Noi Bai International Airport on the morning of August 25.

This is the first time a flight operated by a Vietnamese airline has been licensed to transport goods between the two countries.

This is also the second direct flight between Vietnam and the US in 2021 to bring Vietnamese people home after Vietnam Airlines was approved by the US to operate 12 flights to repatriate Vietnamese citizens home.

The special shipment, with nearly 400 packages includes 250 ventilators, 9,000 COVID-19 rapid test kits, 600 sets of medical protective clothing, 2,500 anti-droplet masks and 60,000 medical masks, has a total estimated value of US$1 million.

The goods are donations from the Vietnamese community in the US in response to the call of the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco to support COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control in the homeland.

Vietnam Airlines actively coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, the US Embassy in Vietnam, the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco and US authorities to get the approval and complete necessary procedures for the shipment the medical supplies.

The Ministry of Health received the medical supplies and will immediately allocate them to domestic medical facilities.