Vietnam Airlines officially receives FAA permit to run direct flights to US

A plane of Vietnam Airlines (Photo: Vietnam Airlines)

Hanoi – National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on November 16 officially received a permit from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate non-stop commercial flight service between Vietnam and the US.

With the event, Vietnam Airlines has become the first and only Vietnamese airline to be allowed to run regular direct flights to the US.

The permit was presented by Commercial Counsellor at the US Embassy in Vietnam Charles Ranado. It is a prerequisite legal condition for Vietnam Airlines to set up direct services to the US.

Meanwhile, international special charter flights will be limited in terms of schedule, passenger and purpose. The flights are only allowed to operate within a specified period, and the airline has to re-apply for a new permit when the time frame expires.

The carrier said its first regular direct flight to the US is scheduled to take off on November 28, marking 20 years since it established a representative office in the US.

The flight lasting 13 hours and 50 minutes will leave Ho Chi Minh City and land at San Francisco. The return flight from San Francisco on November 29 (local time) will run for nearly 16 hours and 40 minutes. The flights will use wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

From December 2021, Vietnam Airlines will run two flights per week between Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco. It is expected to increase to seven flights once the pandemic is under control and the Vietnamese Government allows the resumption of regular international flights.

The same day, Vietnam Airlines and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) held a forum promoting Vietnam-US trade, with experts and representatives from the two countries’ businesses taking part.