Vietnam Airlines Gets First License for Direct US Flights
HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Vietnam Airlines has become the first carrier in the country to secure a coveted license to fly directly to the United States, according to the airline and a regulatory filing.
The approval has been sought for months by Vietnamese carriers eager to exploit a fast-growing market for air travel among Vietnam’s booming middle class.
Domestic and regional air travel has mushroomed among Vietnamese travelers, and carriers are hoping the market will extend to U.S. travel too.
Vietnam Airlines has been licensed to fly from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Dallas, according to a regulatory filing from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The carrier also will be able to connect to Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto in Canada, it said.
The terms, which took effect Aug. 26, cover “air transportation of persons, property and mail” between the Vietnamese and North American cities.
It was not immediately clear if the flights will be nonstop or will transit through Taipei, Osaka and Nagoya, which were listed as approved intermediate hubs in the filing.
The national carrier confirmed the approval on Thursday, calling it “an important move by Vietnam Airlines in preparing its plan to fly to the U.S. in the coming time.”
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