Bamboo Airways to begin direct US flights

[reader]

From VN Express News

Bamboo Airways has acquired slots to operate regular direct flights from HCMC to San Francisco and Los Angeles starting September 1.

At the San Francisco International Airport, the daily flights are expected to land at 10 a.m. (U.S. time) and depart at 1 p.m.; and the landing and takeoff times at the Los Angeles International Airport flights are 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively, the carrier said in a press release Friday.

The flights would be operated using the long-haul Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Bamboo Airways is rushing to complete the final steps in the process of building its personnel apparatus, including pilot and flight crew training, to get ready for operating the direct flights to the U.S., it said.

There are currently no non-stop routes between the two countries, and passengers have to transit through Hong Kong, South Korea or Taiwan, taking 18-21 hours in all. A direct flight would shorten the travel time to 15-17 hours.

Bamboo Airways had received a permit from the U.S. Department of Transportation to carry passengers and cargo to that country last year.

Vietnam's Ministry of Transport is also finalizing procedures to designate Bamboo Airways to operate charter flights between Vietnam and the U.S. following a proposal made by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam at the end of April.

It will allow the private airline to carry passengers and goods from Vietnam to the U.S. and vice versa on charter flights upon approval by the prime minister and relevant agencies.

Passengers on these flights could be experts, foreign investors and Vietnamese citizens in the U.S. wishing to return home. Bamboo Airways chairman Trinh Van Quyet said the airline expects to operate charter flights to the U.S. from July.

Americans are among the top foreign visitors to Vietnam, with 687,226 arrivals in 2019, and an ethnic Vietnamese population of over 2.1 million in the U.S. is also expected to be a steady source of travel demand.

[reader]

From VN Express

Bamboo Airways and SFO sign agreement to promote nonstop Vietnam-US flights

Bamboo Airways has signed an MoU with San Francisco International Airport (SFO), aiming to bridge the gap between the two aviation markets and countries through nonstop commercial flights.

On Sept. 24 (local time), a welcome ceremony for Bamboo Airways's first nonstop flight connecting Vietnam and the United States was held at San Francisco International Airport, California, U.S.

Within the framework of the event, Bamboo Airways and SFO signed a Memorandum of Understanding. On the basis of the MoU, Bamboo Airways and SFO would deploy regular nonstop flights from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to SFO subject to U.S. government approval.

Dang Tat Thang, CEO of Bamboo Airways said: "Active cooperation between BAV and SFO in promoting regular nonstop flights between Vietnam and the United States marks a turning point in the airline's history, proving a successful partnership between both sides. We expect this movement would bring direct benefits to both aviation markets, making a substantial contribution to the development of bilateral and multilateral trade, tourism, and economics, especially in the post-epidemic period."

"We are truly proud to be the first airport in the United States to offer nonstop flights to Vietnam," said SFO Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. "This decision reinforces SFO as the premier U.S. gateway of choice, offering a world-class airport experience with seamless access throughout San Francisco Bay Area. We thank BAV for choosing San Francisco for their U.S. expansion, and we are committed to making this new service a success for both BAV and the customers they serve.

Bamboo Airways' wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight QH9149 landed at San Francisco International Airport on the evening of Sept. 23. The flight took approximately 13 hours and 30 minutes, significantly shorter compared to current connecting flights between Vietnam and the U.S. The Quy Nhon Town aircraft has surpassed seven countries and territories, covering one of the longest routes in the world at nearly 12,500 kilometers.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/bamboo-airways-and-sfo-sign-agreement-to-promote-nonstop-vietnam-us-flights-4362767.html

[PeterRS]

1 hour ago, reader said:

one of the longest routes in the world at nearly 12,500 kilometers

I think that is a slight overstatement. Qantas non-stop 787-900 from Perth to London covers a distance of 14,498 kms.  Qatar's 777 Doha to Auckland is 14,535 kms. And Singapore Airlines has restarted its non-stop Singapore to New York flight (changing to JFK from Newark) using A350-900s covering 15,341 kms. Good for PR, though!

[Guest]

[reader]

Real airplane. But I can fully understand how you were so easily fooled, Z. Both have wings and some green paint in the back. Don't worry, easy mistake.

[fedssocr]

7 hours ago, PeterRS said:

I think that is a slight overstatement. Qantas non-stop 787-900 from Perth to London covers a distance of 14,498 kms.  Qatar's 777 Doha to Auckland is 14,535 kms. And Singapore Airlines has restarted its non-stop Singapore to New York flight (changing to JFK from Newark) using A350-900s covering 15,341 kms. Good for PR, though!

according to the Great Circle Mapper (gcmap.com) the distance from SGN to SFO is 7838 miles which is a little over 12500 km. So the article would appear to be correct

[PeterRS]

2 hours ago, fedssocr said:

according to the Great Circle Mapper (gcmap.com) the distance from SGN to SFO is 7838 miles which is a little over 12500 km. So the article would appear to be correct

The article notes that flight distance is around 12,500 kms. And perhaps adding "one of" clarifies that it is not the longest. But pre covid and even now there are plenty of longer flights. I listed three, one of which is almost 3,000 kms longer. I could have added Dubai to Buenos Aires at 13,670 kms, Dubai to San Francisco at 13,000 kms, Doha to LAX at 13,321 kms etc.

[reader]

Having flown the New York to Singapore non-stop four times in each direction, I appreciate the flexibility that very long haul service offers. But there's a more important back story in the Bamboo news.

Just last month,Vietnam Airlines took a step closer in establishing service between HCMC and the US west coast with a refueling stop in Hong Kong.  Once these two carriers begin scheduled operations, Vietnam will be on its way to making the country another hub for southeast Asia air travel with frequent connecting service throughout the region.

It's a long-term strategy for that lucrative positioning that can boost the nation's economy well into the future.

 

[PeterRS]

More competition should be good for cheaper fares - even in biz class. I'd be happy with a few days stopover in Vietnam - although HCMC is not my favourite part of the country. Easy, though, to get to the southern delta, the lovely island of Phu Quoc and the central part of the country in and around Da Nang.

[spoon]

1 hour ago, PeterRS said:

More competition should be good for cheaper fares - even in biz class. I'd be happy with a few days stopover in Vietnam - although HCMC is not my favourite part of the country. Easy, though, to get to the southern delta, the lovely island of Phu Quoc and the central part of the country in and around Da Nang.

But if u are there for the guys, HCMC is probably the best area to visit lol

[PeterRS]

47 minutes ago, spoon said:

But if u are there for the guys, HCMC is probably the best area to visit lol

Based on my limited experience, I agree. In fact I did not like HCMC at all. The area around Danang, Hoi And Hue was very active, though. And I am told that in Can Tho a little further south there are some eager young guys.

[10tazione]

Bamboo Airways in trouble ...

Bamboo Airways suspends domestic routes to popular tourist hubs (theinvestor.vn)

[Marc in Calif]

On 5/8/2021 at 4:21 AM, reader said:

Bamboo Airways is rushing to complete the final steps in the process of building its personnel apparatus, including pilot and flight crew training, to get ready for operating the direct flights to the U.S., it said.

Not a very good sign! 🙄

[Marc in Calif]

On 11/26/2023 at 7:43 AM, 10tazione said:

Bamboo Airways in trouble ...

Bamboo Airways suspends domestic routes to popular tourist hubs (theinvestor.vn)

Bamboo Airways last month appointed former executive of Pacific Airlines and Air Mekong Luong Hoai Nam as its new CEO, the third in five months.

The carrier has been going through major leadership changes ever since its chairman Trinh Van Quyet was arrested in March last year for stock market manipulation and fraud.

[reader]

Bamboo has become yet another victim or corporate fraud from within its own ranks. When it first announced ambitious expansion plans in the heady days of air travel before Covid struck, I was hopeful that increased competition on long haul Ir routes into SE Asia would keep fares in check. The pandemic changed all that but the majority of the well-managed carriers not only survived but are now thriving. Sadly, it looks like greed is going to clip Bamboo’s wings.

At the moment, what the market needs—well, what the consumer needs—is for the huge China carriers to resume international service to a level it was pre-Covid. It looked for a while that it was baked in but now an outbreak of respiratory illness in the northern part of the country is making headwinds along with some political and economic issues.

In the meantime, fliers have no choice but to accept a higher rate environment. Longer but less frequent trips is one work around for the retired crowd and business nomads. Value can still be found but it requires a lot of flexibility.

=========

From Thai PBS World 

Thai Health Ministry dealing with potential spread of respiratory illness from China

The Thai Ministry of Public Health has adopted four precautionary measures to cope with a respiratory illness which is now spreading among children in northern China.
 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-health-ministry-dealing-with-potential-spread-of-respiratory-illness-from-china/