Viet Nam’s Bamboo Airways eyes US ops in 4Q21/1Q22

Bamboo Airways (QH, Hanoi) plans to operate its first proving flight from Viet Nam to the United States on September 23, having received authorisation from the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to run 12 roundtrips in total to Los Angeles Int’l, San Francisco, CA, and Seattle Tacoma Int’l between September and November 2021.

The authorisation allows the carrier to operate from either Hanoi or Da Nang. Bamboo Airways hopes that the proving flights will be followed by all necessary commercial agreements, allowing it to start scheduled operations to California in late 2021 or early 2022. The carrier plans to operate to Los Angeles and San Francisco using B787-9 aircraft and has already obtained the necessary slots at both airports. It applied for the Foreign Air Carrier Permit (FACP) and an exemption on June 1, 2021, but has yet to receive any response from the US Department of Transportation.

Bamboo Airways’ US flights have been repeatedly delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing closure of Viet Nam to most international travel. According to its FACP filing, the carrier plans to operate from Viet Nam via Taipei Taoyuan, Osaka Kansai, and Nagoya Chubu to airports in California in the initial phase.

In 2020, the carrier, which is backed by multi-industry conglomerate FLC Group, operated a number of repatriation charters to the US, which were its first operations to the country. and was subsequently authorised to operate more charters but has not used this authorisation so far.

Rival Vietnam Airlines planned to launch scheduled flights to San Francisco in April 2021 but deferred these plans due to the prevailing travel restrictions. The flag carrier will operate directly on the outbound leg and via Anchorage Ted Stevens on the return leg.