The US Trade and Development Agency has signed an agreement with the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport on financing the second and third phases of an ongoing project aimed to enhance Viet Nam’s safety oversight capacity.

Vietnam Airlines’ aircraft in Ha Noi’s Noi Bai Airport (Photo: Tuong Thuy)

The US Government is providing US$1.4 million to assist in implementing the whole project in three phases, and the first phase of has been completed, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of Viet Nam.

In early 2008, Vietnam Airlines asked the US aviation agency to issue a license allowing it to operate direct service between the two countries. The launch of this direct service is scheduled for 2009.

The flag carrier currently operates more than 50 aircraft, and plans to expand its fleet to 86 in 2015 and 110 in 2020 to cater to the increasing domestic and international demand for air travel, including on the flights between the US and Viet Nam.

United Airlines is the only US carrier to operate a daily direct flight between Viet Nam and America via Hong Kong.