US direct flight fare around $1,000

There would be a reduced number of passengers to lower the aircraft’s weight to ensure no fuel stops are needed, CEO Le Hong Ha told reporters Tuesday.

On the Boeing 787 and Airbus 350 planes Vietnam Airlines uses, this means a maximum of 210-220 passengers instead of the full complement of 300, he said.

The 2.2 million Vietnamese-Americans in the U.S. would be the main targets in future, he said.

The Vietnam-U.S. direct route would not be profitable for five to 10 years, but it is better to fly to sustain cash flows, he said.

Passengers allowed to enter Vietnam from the U.S. now amid Covid-19 are experts, businesspeople and high-skilled workers.

The first regular direct flight to the U.S. will leave HCMC in the evening of November 28, achieving a dream conceived nearly two decades ago.

It will arrive in San Francisco 13 hours and 50 minutes later.