US carrier United Airlines resumes flights to HCMC after 8 years

By Anh Tu October 27, 2025 | 07:55 pm PT

United Airlines, one of the three largest American carriers, has resumed flights between two U.S. cities and HCMC after an eight-year hiatus.

On Monday it began operating daily flights from HCMC to Hong Kong, from where passengers can fly to Los Angeles or San Francisco, two cities in California State. It uses the wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with 257 seats for all the flights.

A United Airlines Boeing 777-222(ER) takes off from Barcelona-El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Spain, on August 27, 2025. Photo by NurPhoto via AFP

United was the first U.S. airline to operate direct flights to Vietnam following a bilateral air transport agreement in 2003. It was flying to HCMC’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport from 2007 until 2012.

It has a fleet of over 1,000 aircraft, and jostles with Delta Air Lines and American Airlines for top spot in the country.

Vietnam Airlines used to be the only carrier with commercial services between the U.S. and Vietnam, operating thrice weekly round-trip flights between HCMC and San Francisco.

Patrick Quayle, senior vice president of global network and alliances at United Airlines, said connecting HCMC is a part of the carrier’s expansion strategy in the Pacific region.

By the end of this year the company expects to fly to 32 destinations in the region. Globally, it expects to operate more than 850 daily flights to more than 150 international destinations by next year.