Flight VN1718 was delayed by 11 minutes to wait for a team of five doctors from Nghe An General Friendship Hospital, who were transporting the liver to be transplanted into a patient at Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi. Vietnam Airlines expressed appreciation for the passengers’ understanding of the delay, which served a profoundly meaningful purpose.
Due to the strict time constraints involved in organ preservation — the liver must be transplanted within six hours from the time of removal — the entire operation was conducted with utmost urgency.
Upon receiving the request from the National Coordinating Center for Human Organ Transplantation, Vietnam Airlines immediately reserved and issued tickets for the medical team and arranged for the hand-carried organ transport box. From check-in to boarding and landing, the team was granted priority at every step, including expedited procedures, fast-track security screening, specially arranged seating near the aircraft door, and quick disembarkation from the apron.
With the awareness that every minute counts, and the belief that each flight can be a lifeline for a critically ill patient, Vietnam Airlines strives to execute these special missions with precision, urgency, and safety — helping fulfill both the hope of recovery for patients and the final wishes of donors.