Bamboo Airways granted permit to operate nonstop flights to the US

Bamboo Airways is planning to open flights to the US by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Bamboo Airways is authorised to operate nonstop flights by wide-body aircraft Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner between major airports in Vietnam such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with all international airports in the US, including some key airports in Los Angeles or San Francisco that Bamboo Airways is considering for its first maiden flights. This event also opens up opportunities for codeshare co-operation between Bamboo Airways and reputable partners in the US.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Trong, deputy general director of Bamboo Airways, this is an important milestone in the Carrier's flight route promotion in the near future. After receiving the Permit from the USDOT, the Carrier will continue to implement licensing procedures from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and relevant US authorities.

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

In parallel with the licensing procedures, Bamboo Airways has prepared facilities and equipment to meet operating standards. The carrier has been urgently building the personnel apparatus by training pilots and improving its fleet. The staff are thoroughly and comprehensively trained on requirements and regulations related to safety and security, legal conditions, federal and state laws, and market situations, among others, to prepare all conditions for exploitation.

"Depending on the pandemic recovery of the US and market conditions, by the end of 2020 or at the beginning of 2021 at the soonest, we will operate nonstop flights to the US," said Nguyen Ngoc Trong.

Aviation experts evaluate the large market potential between the two countries is at around 700,000 passengers per year, while it only needs around 30,000-60,000 passengers per year to open a flight route.

In terms of legal aspects, in 2003, Vietnam and US signed an aviation agreement that allows the carriers of the two countries to operate nonstop flights with frequency of 1 flight per day or fly over to a transition country before departing for the US.

In 2010, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) reviewed and reassessed the agreement, concluding that there are no restrictions or obstacles on passengers, flight frequency to apply for permission to open flights connecting Vietnam and the US.

After 10 years of effort, in early 2019, the Vietnam Aviation Administration obtained the US CAT-1 certificate. This is a prerequisite for Vietnamese airlines to apply for permits to fly to the US and to codeshare with US airlines. The FAA will continue to evaluate the capacity of each particular Vietnamese carrier.

That Bamboo Airways was licensed by the US Department of Transport to fly to the US has contributed to affirming the operating capacity, absolute safety, and service quality of Bamboo Airways in particular and the Vietnamese aviation industry in general is on par with international standards.

The CAAV appreciates Bamboo Airways’ effort in obtaining the permit. A leader of the CAAV said that the establishment of nonstop flight route between Vietnam and the US not only has commercial meaning but also demonstrates Bamboo Airways and the whole industry’s competence, tightening the comprehensive relationship between the two countries.