Vietnam Airlines officially receives FAA permit to run direct flights to US
Hanoi (VNA) – 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./.