Vietnam's aviation safety given US approval, key to expansion

The US FAA on Thursday gave its approval to Vietnam’s air-safety system, which will allow the Southeast Asian country’s airlines to fly to the US as it seeks to bolster tourism. Vietnam’s national carrier is planning flights to California. The FAA gave Vietnam a Category 1 rating, meaning US reviewers found that the country adheres to UN standards for licensing pilots and overseeing airline operations and safety, the agency said. “The Category 1 status announced today is based on an August 2018 FAA assessment of the safety oversight provided by the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam,” the FAA said. The FAA hadn’t previously assessed Vietnam’s aviation regulation system. Vietnam Airlines for years has planned flights to the US West Coast, home to a large population of Vietnamese-Americans. The carrier is considering a Ho Chi Minh City-San Francisco flight to be its first US route, CE Duong Tri Thanh said in May.<br/>