Bamboo Airways is the second carrier to be permitted by the US to fly to the country. The other carrier that was also granted a permit was Vietnam Airlines. It is reported that Bamboo Airways will begin operating in the US by the end of 2021 or early 2022.

The carrier will now file for paperwork with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Transportation Security Administration and other relevant agencies in the US.

Currently, there are no direct flights operating between Vietnam and the US. A direct flight would bring the travel time down to 14 to 16 hours, generally, it takes 18 to 21 hours to travel between the two countries.

Vietnam will soon have a new carrier operating in the country in Vietravel Airlines.  The newcomer received approval to launch in December. Earlier, Vietravel was planned to launch in 2021.

Nguyen Quoc Ky, CEO, Vietravel Airlines told the media, “We will fly domestically first, targeting the 100 million population market. In fact, it is not a small market. Our July domestic travel revenue is already much higher than before the pandemic.”

Vietnam’s State Capital Investment Corp (SCIC) will inject more money into Vietnam Airlines to help the flag carrier cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It is reported that SCIC could invest up to $293.44 million to buy new shares of the carrier.

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The carrier will reportedly travel to South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and several Southeast Asian destinations in its first phase of resuming international operations.

Vietnam Airlines is planning to operate daily return flights between Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City and the Incheon International Airport near Seoul, South Korea and up to four return flights a week between Hanoi/HCMC and Busan City.

The airline is also planning three to four return flights a week from Hanoi and HCMC to Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Vietnam Airlines chief executie Duong Tri Thanh revealed that the airline awaits permission from the authority. “Vietnam Airlines is ready to resume flights as soon as the restrictions are lifted,” he told the media.

Last month, it was reported that Vietnam Airlines is planning to add as much as 50 new aircraft to its fleet. The news comes amid a time when the global aviation is accumulating losses in billions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority expects local airlines to lose hundreds of millions of dollars. Vietnam Airlines is forewarning a loss of $843 million in 2020. In the first quarter of 2020, the airline lost $110 million.

Reportedly, Vietnam Airlines is planning to acquire 50 more aircraft at a cost of approximately $3.8 billion.

Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing aviation sectors in the world. Besides Vietnam Airlines, other carriers such as Jetstar Pacific, Vietjet Air, Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), and Bamboo Airways also operate in the region.

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