Vietnam Airlines' first commercial non-stop flight to the US arrived on Monday morning. — Screen grab from the landing video on San Francisco International Airport's Facebook page

HÀ NỘI — Flight VN98 by national carrier Vietnam Airlines landed in the US on Monday morning, marking the completion of the first commercial non-stop flight from Việt Nam to the US after the direct route was officially approved.

The flight, which departed from HCM City's Tân Sơn Nhất at 8:57pm Sunday (Việt Nam time), conducted on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, arrived at San Francisco International Airport at 7:42pm Sunday (US time), or 10:42 Monday (Việt Nam time).

The flight took 13 hours and 45 minutes to traverse the journey of 13,000km.

Ivar C. Satero, Director of the San Francisco Airport, said he was proud to be the first US airport to serve the regular flights from Việt Nam with world-class experience.

This also makes San Francisco Airport the gateway in the US for Vietnamese passengers to go to different places in the San Francisco Bay area, he noted. 

Vietnam Airlines said it is organising two regular direct flights each week between HCM City and San Francisco and planning to increase the frequency to 7 flights a week once the pandemic is under control and the Vietnamese Government permits the reopening of regular international flights.

The carrier is also considering opening up new routes to the US, like between Los Angels and Hà Nội or HCM City. 

Flights between Việt Nam and the US are carried out entirely by Vietnam Airlines' most modern wide-body fleet, Boeing 787 and Airbus A350.

Việt Nam's aviation industry and Vietnam Airlines have prepared for 20 years to open a regular air route to the US. The scheme officially completed on November 4 this year after the national flag carrier officially received a permit from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate non-stop commercial flight service between the two countries.

With the establishment of the Việt Nam-US air bridge, passengers will have more opportunities to move quickly and conveniently between the two countries, which will help contribute to the promotion of economic ties, cultural exchange and strengthening relations between Việt Nam and the US. — VNS

First passengers on the first regular Việt Nam-US direct flight. — VNA/VNS Photo