Vietnam Airlines will begin direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco in the near future, making it the first and so far only Vietnamese airline to do so.
Vietnam Airlines will begin flying its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner twice a week from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on November 28, 2021.
The journey to SFO is projected to take 13 hours and 50 minutes, while the travel back to Vietnam is expected to take 16 hours and 40 minutes. The airline expects to fly the route twice-weekly through December 2021, with daily flights becoming available once COVID-19 travel restrictions are lifted. It also intends to fly this route with its A350 aircraft in the future.
✈ On November 16, Vietnam Airlines officially received the permit to operate non-stop commercial flights between Vietnam and the US and became the first and only Vietnamese carrier with the authorization to do so.#VietnamAirlines #4StarAirline #4Stars4You #UnitedStates #TSA pic.twitter.com/0sJvIntkli
— Vietnam Airlines (@VietnamAirlines) November 16, 2021
After announcing plans to resume foreign flights for the first time since March 2020, the airline is expanding to the United States.
It has also beaten rival Bamboo Airways to become the first Vietnamese airline to acquire an official FAA permit to fly to the United States.
On November 16, 2021, the airline announced the news on social media. Vietnam Airlines also collaborated with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to host a forum titled “Promoting Vietnam-US Trade in the New Context” on the same day.