On 28 November, Vietnam Airlines launched the first regularly scheduled service between the US and Vietnam.
The twice-weekly flight will connect San Francisco with Ho Chi Minh City, according to Cirium flight schedule data.
The launch will come as the large majority of Vietnam remains closed
to the tourism market. Only Phu Quoc Island to the west of mainland
Vietnam is open to visitors on a trial basis. In addition, pre-approved
foreigners are allowed entry, primarily for business purposes, but a
seven-day quarantine is required.
A San Francisco Airport spokesman declined to comment on the route,
citing the wishes of Vietnam Airlines to handle all inquiries. The
carrier could not immediately be reached for comment. A search for San
Francisco-Ho Chi Minh City flights on the Vietnam Airlines website also
did not yield results.
However, Vietnam Airlines general director Le Hong Ha confirmed the
new route on Tuesday in an interview with Vietnam's VN Express online
newspaper, noting that the airline is targeting the 2.2 million
Vietnamese expats in the US.
Vietnamese Airlines will beat Vietnam-based Bamboo Airways to the San
Francisco-Ho Chi Minh market. In September, the carrier and San
Francisco Airport announced a memorandum of understanding for a planned
launch of four-times weekly service using a Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) opened the door for
Vietnamese carriers to fly to the US in early 2019, when it determined
that the country's civil aviation authority complies with international
aviation safety standards.
Source: Travel Weekly