Fightglobal reported on September 3 that the airline is authorized to operate flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to several destinations in the US as well as flights via points in Taipei, Taiwan (China), and Osaka and Nagoya in Japan.

The firm will be permitted to fly to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Dallas-Fort Worth. It can also continue flights to Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto cities in Canada.

Fightglobal said Vietnam Airlines and Delta Air Lines have recently upgraded their bond, with Delta carrying out flights on the Hanoi-Tokyo route from October this year.

Despite the high demand for travel between Vietnam and the US, there are no direct flights connecting the two countries. Those who want to fly from Vietnam to the US and vice versa often have to transit at airports in Asian cities like Hong Kong (China), Seoul of the Republic of Korea or Tokyo of Japan.

Vietnam Airlines works to complete procedures for direct flights to US

Vietnam Airlines has been continuously working to complete procedures to conduct direct flights to the US, according to the national flag carrier.

The airline said it has been awarded a foreign air carrier permit from the US Department of Transportation to operate flights to transport passengers and goods and parcels from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to several destinations in the US, as well as those via points in Taipei (China’s Taiwan), and Osaka and Nagoya in Japan.

The firm was authorized to fly to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Dallas-Fort Worth. It can also continue flights to Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto cities in Canada.

In addition, Vietnam Airlines is also permitted to operate routes from destinations outside Vietnam, via Vietnam and other transit points to 25 destinations in the US in the form of codeshare. The permission also allows the carrier to make charter flights between the two countries.

Up to now, it is the first and only airline in Vietnam to be granted with the permit by the US Department of Transportation.

Previously, Vietnam Airlines and Delta Air Lines – the second largest airline in the US – signed an agreement to expand their bond, with Delta carrying out flights on the Hanoi-Tokyo route from October this year.

Earlier 2019, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam was granted Category 1 rating by FAA. This is considered as a new step of the Vietnam - US aviation cooperation, and also a technical prerequisite, enabling Vietnam Airlines to set up direct service to the US and to partner with US airlines.

Vietnam’s airlines need around $1,300 per passenger to fly to US

Bamboo Airways, the private airline which has just joined the market, plans to provide non-stop flights from late 2020 or early 2021. Meanwhile, older carriers still have not made any statements about the matter.