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A Vietnamese airline made history by launching the first-ever commercial nonstop flight from Vietnam to the UShttps://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/a-vietnamese-airline-made-history-by-launching-the-first-ever-commercial-nonstop-flight-from-vietnam-to-the-us/slidelist/88033542.cms2021-12-01T19:26:56+05:30

A Vietnamese airline made history by launching the first-ever commercial nonstop flight from Vietnam to the US

Taylor RainsDec 1, 2021, 19:26 IST

Vietnam Airlines made history on Sunday when it flew the first-ever regularly scheduled, nonstop passenger flight from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to San Francisco in the US.

The company launched the inaugural flight using a Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner configured with 28 lie-flat business class seats, 35 premium recliners, and 211 regular economy seats.

The airline also plans to use the Airbus A350 on the route. However, neither plane will depart at full capacity due to weight restrictions, leaving about 100 seats open.

According to Flight Aware, the Boeing 787 jet made the trek across the Pacific in 12 hours and 52 minutes, departing Ho Chi Minh City at 8:40 p.m. and arriving in San Francisco at 6:41 p.m. local time the same day. The aircraft had a maximum altitude of 40,000 feet.

"Today, we are very pleased to announce the success of the inaugural commercial direct flight to the country, marking a new milestone for Vietnam Airlines in particular and Vietnam's aviation in general," Vietnam Airlines CEO Le Hong Ha said at ceremony for the inaugural flight.

"This new service truly makes San Francisco Airport the premier United States gateway airport," San Francisco Airport director Ivar C. Satero said. "We are grateful to Vietnam Airlines for making San Francisco their first US destination, and we are confident this new service will be a success."

Onboard, passengers were treated to a special cuisine crafted for the inaugural flight, which was made up of American-made foods paired with California wine, including Washington apples, California grapes, cheese, and raisins, and US-made dried blueberries, pecans, and almond milk.

The cuisine was made in partnership with the US Embassy and Consulate in Vietnam, the Department of Agriculture in Vietnam, and United Tastes.

Passengers were also served meat and veggie dishes...

And specially made cakes for the maiden journey.

The plane started its 15-hour and 48-minute return journey at 11:52 p.m. local time on Monday and is scheduled to land at 6:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday, according to FlightAware.

For now, the flight will operate twice-weekly with plans to operate seven times a week when COVID-19 is under control. In addition, the airline plans to launch additional routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Los Angeles.

The company has been working for decades to make the flight happen but was not granted permission to fly the route because Vietnam did not meet international safety standards.

However, that changed in 2019 when the Federal Aviation Administration cleared Vietnam as a Category 1 country, meaning it could finally conduct flights to the US. On November 16, the FAA presented Vietnam Airlines with its foreign air carrier certificate at a ceremony in Hanoi.

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