Vietnam Airlines plans direct US route

The Prime Minister of Vietnam has reportedly approved a plan to launch a new direct air service to the U.S. and it could be operational by the end of the year.

National carrier Vietnam Airlines has been instructed by the government to begin the leasing process to expand the fleet sufficiently for the new route although it is not known whether Boeing or Airbus aircraft will be used.

The state-run airline currently has 39 jets and flew 3.1 million passengers last year. A nonstop service between Vietnam and the U.S. was not expected until the end of 2007.

However, while this looks like it could happen sooner, Trinh Ngoc Thanh of the Planning and Marketing Division of Vietnam Airlines told VietNamNet that the airline had some way to go before it would meet U.S. aviation safety regulations.

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