The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has announced a plan to open direct flights into the lucrative US market in 2010, three years later than its earlier plan, airline Deputy General Director Duong Tri Thanh said.

The airline is preparing marketing and planes to reach the goal, which will depend on economic conditions.

The US is a difficult market in which aviation authorities impose many conditions on airlines flying direct to the country.

Besides tight security and safety regulations, airlines are required to supply personal information on all passengers four hours before take-off.

This is not required by most other countries but the US remains the number-one aviation market and most airlines in the world want to enter it.

That is why Vietnam Airlines is trying to open direct flights to the country, even in a time of worldwide economic crisis.

Direct flights to the US, coupled with membership of the World Trade Organisation, is tipped to help bilateral trade and tourism and integration into the global economy.

US-based United Airlines has direct fights to HCM City from San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles .

The US last year provided US$1.4 million to upgrade Viet Nam’s aviation safety and security procedures to meet US standards, the US Embassy in Ha Noi said.

Viet Nam Civil Aviation Administration deputy director Lai Xuan Thanh said more flights to the US were needed to match growing economic ties.

Like other airlines around the world, Vietnam Airlines’ passenger and cargo figures are decreasing.

In the first quarter of 2009, the number of international passengers travelling with the airline fell 5 per cent, and the carrier has set a target of serving only around 9.4 million passengers this year compared to 9 million last year.

(Source:VNS)