First passengers on the first regular Vietnam-US direct flight. VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Flight VN98 by national carrier Vietnam Airlines landed in the US on the morning of November 29, marking the completion of the first commercial non-stop flight from Vietnam to the US after the direct route was officially approved.
The flight, which departed from Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport at 8:57pm on November 28 (Vietnam time) on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, arrived at San Francisco International Airport at 7:42pm on November 28 (US time), or 10:42 on November 29 (Vietnam time).
The flight took 13 hours and 45 minutes to fly the 13,000km journey.
Ivar C Satero, director of the San Francisco Airport, told reporters he was proud that San Francisco was the first US airport to serve regular flights from Vietnam with a world-class experience.
This also makes San Francisco the gateway to the US for Vietnamese passengers to travel to different places in the San Francisco Bay area, he noted.
Vietnam Airlines said it is organising two regular direct flights each week between Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco and planning to increase the frequency to seven flights a week once the pandemic is under control and the Vietnamese government permits the reopening of regular international flights.
The carrier is also considering opening up other new routes to the US, such as between Los Angeles and Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
Flights between Vietnam and the US are carried out entirely by Vietnam Airlines’ most modern wide-body fleet of Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 aircraft.
Vietnam’s aviation industry and Vietnam Airlines have prepared for 20 years to open a regular air route to the US. The scheme was officially completed on November 4 this year after the national flag carrier officially received a permit from the US Federal Aviation Administration to operate non-stop commercial flight services between the two countries.
With the establishment of the Vietnam-US air bridge, passengers will have more opportunities to move quickly and conveniently between the two countries, which will help contribute to the promotion of economic ties, cultural exchanges and strengthening relations between Vietnam and the US.
VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
