Ha also revealed that the national airline has received its permit from the competent authority for conducting regular non-stop flights to the US.
It had documents approved by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the permit issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In the first phase, Ha said Vietnam Airlines will operate a route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco with a frequency of two flights per week.
It will increase the number of its weekly direct flights to the US to seven as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic is under control and international routes are completely reopened,
The first Vietnam Airlines flight is scheduled to depart from Ho Chi Minh City on November 28 evening and last for about 13 hours 50 minutes. The return flight will take off from San Francisco on November 29 evening (local time) and land in Ho Chi Minh City on December 1 morning.
Wide-body aircraft Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be used to run on the route
Vietnam Airlines will become the first Vietnamese airline to be allowed to operate regular direct flights to the US which has the most stringent barriers, legal procedures and aviation security regulations in the world.
Ha said the airline is examining flight routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to other destinations in the US such as Los Angeles or Houston in the near future.
The US is a huge and potential air transport market, but is also the most competitive market in the world. Currently, there are about 20 airlines operating routes between Vietnam and the US.
