Duty-free shopping to be allowed on Vietnam-bound flights in November

Passengers will be allowed to purchase duty-free goods onboard their international flights bound for Vietnam starting November, when a new tax-free shopping regulation takes effect, local online newspaper Tuoi Tre (Youth) News reported on Saturday.

The new rule, approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and which will take effective on November 1, is applicable to domestic airlines, or those that are established and operate as per the Vietnamese law.

As per the current rule, businesses are only allowed to sell duty-free goods at international airports in Vietnam and on board flights that depart from the country.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has repeatedly called for a regulation amendment to allow in-flight duty-free purchases on Vietnam-bound flights to serve passengers prior to their arrival to the country.

Such permission will create a fair competition between local and foreign tax-free retailers, as most of the foreign airlines flying to Vietnam allow in-flight duty-free shopping in both departure and arrival flights, according to Vietnam Airlines.

In order to buy the tax-free goods during their flights to Vietnam, passengers are required to present their passport and boarding pass, whereas the flight attendants will take full record of their information such as their names and the numbers of their passport, flight and seat.