Vietnam Airlines become first in history to offer direct commercial flights between Vietnam and US

December 2, 2021

On Monday, the first commercial nonstop flight from Vietnam to the United States was successfully completed by flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.

The first: The flight, which had 30 passengers consisting mostly of Vietnamese Americans aboard a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, “marked a new milestone for Vietnam Airlines in particular and Vietnam’s aviation in general,” said Vietnam Airlines President Le Hong Ha, according to VNExpress.

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In a recent statement, Director of San Francisco Airport Ivar C. Satero wrote, “We are honored to be the first airport in the U.S. to offer nonstop regular flights to Vietnam.”
“We are proud to offer a world-class experience with seamless access throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and grateful to Vietnam Airlines for making San Francisco their first U.S. destination,” Satero added.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was configured to have 28 business class seats, 35 premium economy seats and 211 regular economy seats, Airline Geeks reported. A round-trip economy class flight is expected to have a starting price of $1,000.
It took the jet 12 hours and 52 minutes to travel more than 13,000 kilometers (8,077 miles) at an altitude of 40,000 feet to reach San Francisco from Ho Chi Minh City, and it took 15 hours and 48 minutes to travel back to Vietnam, Business Insider reported citing FlightAware.
Passengers were reportedly served two main meals and one light meal paired with California wine and special cakes during the long flight as a commemoration.

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Other details: Vietnam Airlines plans to offer two weekly direct flights to San Francisco using its Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 XWB jets.

The company hopes to offer up to seven flights per week once the COVID-19 pandemic is under control.
It also has hopes to open up direct flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Los Angeles in the future.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cleared Vietnam to conduct direct flights to the U.S. in 2016 after it became a Category 1 country. On Nov. 16, the American aviation authority gave Vietnam Airlines a foreign air carrier certificate to operate direct flights to the U.S.

Featured Image via Vietnam Airlines

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