Vietnam Airlines Launches First Scheduled Flights to USA

(30 Nov 2021)  Vietnam Airlines has launched direct flights to the United States, fulfilling a key development milestone of the Vietnamese flag carrier.

The airline, a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, will initially operate two flights per week between Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) and San Francisco using Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 aircraft.

Vietnam Airlines plans to increase the frequency of flights to seven per week once demand permits, and is looking at launching flights from Los Angeles to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.

Vietnam Airlines crew celebrate the launch of flights to the United States

“We are so honored to be the first airport in the U.S. to offer nonstop regular flights to Vietnam. This new service truly makes San Francisco Airport the premier U.S. gateway airport, and we are proud to offer a world-class experience with seamless access throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. We are grateful to Vietnam Airlines for making San Francisco their first U.S. destination, and we are confident this new service will be a success,” said Director of San Francisco Airport, Ivar C. Satero.

The San Francisco flights will help to strengthen diplomatic relations between the two countries. Bilateral trade turnover between Vietnam and the U.S. has increased by about 200 fold, from US$451 million in 1995 to US$90.8 billion in 2020.

“Vietnam Airlines was so proud of being the country’s first airline to conduct the charter flight to the U.S. more than a year ago to welcome compatriots back to the homeland. Today, we are very pleased to announce the success of the inaugural commercial direct flight to the U.S., marking a new milestone for Vietnam Airlines in particular and Vietnam’s aviation in general,” said President & CEO of Vietnam Airlines Le Hong Ha.