Under the deal, Vietnam Airlines will make organ transport procedures easier and charge no fees for plane seats used to accommodate organ containers from the Center. The airline has already established a streamlined procedure and has set up teams to handle emergencies to guarantee the freshness of the organs. Trinh Ngoc Thanh, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Airlines, said: “The organ container is very big and we have to arrange adjacent seats to accommodate it and fasten it with a special seatbelt. We work closely with the flight management services to ensure timely takeoff and landing and allow hospital vans to approach the aircraft to collect organs.”

Professor Trinh Hong Son, Director of the Center says ensuring the storage and transportation of organs within the shortest possible time is a prerequisite for successful organ transplantation. Mr. Son said that the health sector will ask the State to invest in organ transportation aircraft because Vietnam is the only country in the world that uses civil aircraft to transport organs: “We’re very happy with the agreement. Vietnam Airlines created favorable conditions for our work helping us to save more lives. In organ transplantation, time and distance are crucial.”

Vietnam Airlines transported five hearts, two livers and one kidney between September 2015 and July 2018. As a result, eight critically ill patients were saved, according to the Health Ministry.