Flight number EK394 departed from Dubai at 03:40 on March 4 (local time), bringing about a group of Vietnamese tourists and many other international visitors to land at Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) at about 1:15 pm on the same day. This is the first commercial flight from Dubai to Hanoi after a period of aviation operations in the region being interrupted due to the war in the Middle East.
There were about 100 Vietnamese tourists on board, including three groups of 51 Vietravel tourists, two groups of 43 Onlytour tourists and a small group of tourists from another unit. All were safely brought back to the country on the same flight, after being stranded in Dubai due to Middle Eastern aviation disruptions.
Answering Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Bui Ngoc Thieu - Director of Onlytour - expressed his pleasure that all guests have returned home safely after many days of waiting. Regarding the costs incurred during stay in Dubai, the business is continuing to complete dossiers and will handle them according to regulations to ensure the rights of customers.
Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Marketing Director of Vietravel, said that the business quickly activated the emergency response process, coordinated with airlines and international partners to adjust the travel plan, ensuring that all tourists are brought back to Vietnam safely and stably.
We will continue to closely monitor developments in the Middle East region, and work closely with airlines and international partners to update appropriate route and operation plans. The company also proactively diversifies flight routes and transit points to minimize operating risks, ensuring that customers' journeys are always deployed in the safest and most convenient conditions," Ms. Van Khanh said.
Representatives of Desert Harbour Tourism - the unit directly supporting Vietnamese tourist groups to complete entry and exit procedures and services in Dubai - said that they worked overnight on March 4 to complete procedures and arrange routes for Vietnamese tourist groups to return home.
The business expressed its pleasure that the delegations were arranged flights back home, and thanked the Government of Vietnam, the Dubai and Emirates authorities for coordinating and providing timely support so that the return journey of tourists could take place quickly and safely.
