A staff member of a local airline instructs a passenger to make a health declaration before entering a security screening checkpoint. CAAV on April 5 demanded that local airlines refuse to transport passengers who do not declare their health status before boarding flights – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC - The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) on April 5 demanded that local airlines refuse to transport passengers who do not declare their health status before boarding flights and violate other Covid-19 safety regulations, aimed at preventing the possible spread of Covid-19.

The carriers have to bear responsibility for letting passengers who did not make the required health declarations get on board, a CAAV representative said.

The carriers were told to assign employees at check-in areas to support passengers in making medical declarations and to team up with local airports to notify passengers of the requirement through voice announcements and TV screens.

The airports and carriers have to cooperate to make sure all of the passengers complete health declarations before passing through security screening checkpoints to avoid congestion in busy areas.

A representative of Vietnam Airlines said that some of the local airports recently had to handle an increasing number of passengers and they had to wait in line at check-in areas. The national flag carrier has advised its passengers to actively arrange their schedules and go to the airport at least two hours ahead of departure to carry out pre-boarding procedures.

Earlier, Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi had reported a large number of passengers who did not make health declarations but still lined up for security screening procedures.

Specifically, the airport reported 1,447 cases on March 30 and 721 cases on March 31, with most of them conducting check-in procedures online or at kiosks.