A Vietnam Airlines flight from California, the U.S. landed at Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh late Friday, carrying 343 Vietnamese citizens home.

The flight, VN1, was the first organized by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassy in the U.S. in coordination with other relevant Vietnamese and American agencies as well as Vietnam Airlines to repatriate citizens from the United States.

Most of the passengers were children under 18 years old, senior citizens, people with pre-existing medical conditions, and overseas students struggling with school dormitory closure.

Many of them had reportedly been stranded at San Francisco International Airport, some having been there since March 22, as they awaited flights to return home.

Previously, the departing flight from Vietnam had taken some U.S. nationals home and transported donated medical supplies to Vietnamese communities in the U.S.

The two-way long-haul direct flights, totaling 25,000 kilometers in flying distance, required close cooperation of both Vietnamese and American authorities to assist the national carrier.

The departing flight took off from Vietnam on Thursday after days of completing procedures, with nearly 30 crew members aboard.

Upon arriving at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh, the passengers and cabin crew members were quarantined in line with regulations.

In the coming days, more Vietnamese citizens from other countries are expected to be taken home.

The flights will be organized depending on the development of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the capacity of Vietnam’s quarantine facilities, and the demand of Vietnamese citizens living overseas.

On Friday, 30 Vietnamese citizens also arrived at Van Don Airport from South Korea on flight VN6419 and were quarantined upon arrival.

Vietnam has logged only 20 imported cases who are returnees from abroad and no community spread over the past 23 days.

The country's COVID-19 tally is at 288, with 241 recoveries and no deaths.

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