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Vietnam Airlines is determined to launch services to the United States by the end of 2019, with more clarity expected soon about the country's US FAA status. The Skyteam carrier is assessing both the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350-1000 for the 7,098nm Ho Chi Minh City-Los Angeles route, says Vietnam Airlines executive vice president Le Hong Ha. "The flight time is quite long, more than 16 hours," he says. "The sellable payload is very important to us, so we are studying what aircraft, based on performance, allows us to launch the route by the end of 2019." The possible acquisition would entail four aircraft. Should the 777X be selected, the aircraft is only likely to be available for Vietnam Airlines in 2021. Though Le did not specify the variant of 777X under consideration, the 777-8's range is 8,700nm while the larger 777-9's is 7,600nm. The A350-1000's range is listed at 8,000nm.<br/>

Officials say passengers on a Delta flight from Detroit Metropolitan Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport were delayed after a vehicle that helps aircraft back out of the gate bumped a plane. No injuries were reported after Delta said the vehicle lost traction during icy weather Tuesday morning and made contact with the aircraft at the airport in Romulus. The airline says the plane was taken out of service so it could be checked. Delta says 56 passengers on flight 2421 were moved to a different plane.<br/>