Direct flights to US slated for 2010

      The national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, has announced a plan to open direct flights into the lucrative US market in 2010, three years later than its earlier plan, its Deputy General Director Duong Tri Thanh says.
He says the airline is preparing marketing and planes to reach the goal, which will depend on economic conditions.
The US is a demanding market in which aviation authorities impose many conditions on airlines flying direct to the country. Besides tight security and safety regulations, airlines are required to supply personal information on all passengers four hours before take-off.
This is not required by most other countries but the US remains the number-one aviation market and most airlines in the world want to enter it. That is why Vietnam Airlines is trying to open its direct flights to the country, even in a time of worldwide economic crisis.
US-based United Airlines has direct flights to HCM City from San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles.
The US last year provided US$1.4 million to upgrade Vietnam’s aviation safety and security procedures to meet US standards, the US Embassy in Hanoi says.
Vietnam Civil Aviation Administration deputy director Lai Xuan Thanh says more flights to the US are needed to match growing economic ties.