SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) – The San Francisco International Airport was lit up with teal and gold Monday night to mark the first non-stop service between Vietnam and the United States. This is another first for SFO as travel expands during COVID.
Airport and airline officials say the growing demand from the Gulf region is making this possible.
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The check-in line for Vietnam Airlines’ inaugural flight from San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City extends to the entrance to the international terminal.
“I’ve been waiting for this service for twenty years,” Song Nihn said.
For Nhin, who runs a semiconductor business in San Jose, the new route will open up more opportunities.
“This is for American entrepreneurs who want to discover and explore new businesses in Vietnam,” Nin said.
“To connect cultures, to connect families and businesses, so we see this as a great opportunity. We know that people in the Gulf region are eager to travel to Vietnam from the research we have done,” said SFO airport director Ivar Satero.
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The new service is twenty four years in the making.
The airline will offer two flights a week to begin with, but plans to increase that number and expand to other cities in the country.
“It’s an amazing night to see that beautiful plane. As I lifted up I could see that plane from the freeway and my heart was missed. It really missed,” said the office of the mayor of San Francisco. Director of International Trade and Commerce said.
The Gulf region has the second largest Vietnamese population in the country.
City leaders say the new route will increase business opportunities, academic exchange and boost tourism both to and from Ho Chi Minh City.
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San Francisco City Hall was also decorated with teal and gold to commemorate the first non-stop flight.
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