National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has successfully conducted a direct flight from the US to Vietnam that landed in the central city of Danang on Wednesday morning.
The flight lands at Danang Airport on December 1
The flight VN99 of the San Francisco - Ho Chi Minh City route carrying 170 passengers was switched to land in Danang City due to passenger quarantine regulations for Covid-19 prevention. This was the first commercial non-stop flight from the US to Vietnam operated by Vietnam Airlines.
The flight using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plane departed from San Francisco City at 11.28 pm on November 29 (local time) and landed in Danang City at 6.03 am on December 1 (local time). The 14,000-kilometre trip took 15 hours and 35 minutes.
Earlier Vietnam Airlines operated the first commercial non-stop flight from Ho Chi Minh City to San Francisco on November 28.
At present, the national flag carrier will run two flights a week and the frequency is expected to be raised to seven flights after the Covid-19 pandemic is brought under control and the Vietnamese government allows it to reopen more regular commercial flights to international markets.
Vietnam Airlines has also considered opening flights from Hanoi and HCM City to Los Angeles.
The US is home to the largest number of overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese students.