The United States Department of Transportation has awarded Vietnam Airlines a foreign carrier permit allowing the flag carrier to operate passenger or cargo flights in the US.

A statement posted by the Centre for Aviation (CAPA) said the permit allows Vietnam Airlines to operate foreign scheduled passenger and cargo service between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City via the intermediate points Taipei, Osaka and Nagoya to co-terminal points in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Dallas-Fort Worth, extending to Vancouver and Toronto.

It also allows the Vietnam flag carrier to conduct foreign scheduled passenger and cargo service from points behind Vietnam, via Vietnam and intermediate points, to 25 co-terminal US points and beyond, on a codeshare basis only with an authorized US or third-country carrier.

Vietnam Airlines will also be permitted foreign charter passenger and cargo service between any point or points in Vietnam and any point or points in the US between any point or points in the US and any point or points in a third country or countries, provided such service constitutes part of a continuous operation and includes service to Vietnam for purposes of carrying local traffic between Vietnam and the US, with ot without a change of aircraft. 

Vietnam Airlines secured a safety rating from the US Federal Aviation Administration in February 2019, which means it complies with international safety standards and allowing the flag carrier to fly to the US and code-share with other American carriers

There are currently no non-stop flights between the US and Vietnam despite the positive outlook on air travel in the Southeast Asian country.

The International Air Transport Association earlier reported that Vietnam will be among the world's top five fastest-growing air travel markets in the next 20 years.

The airline already flies to Paris, Frankfurt, Sydney, Moscow, Melbourne and London.