Up to 10,000 employees, or half the company's staff, will have to stop working while others' salaries have been cut, Tuoi Tre newspaper cited the chief executive officer Duong Chi Thanh as saying.

Vietnam Airlines did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

"Like other airlines, our business is facing a vital challenge," Thanh was quoted as saying.

The company suspended all international flights from March 25 and has significantly cut its domestic operations to a minimal level from Wednesday.

Vietnam had reported 227 coronavirus cases as of late Thursday, with no reported deaths, the Ministry of Health said.

By Khanh Vu