The US Federal Aviation Administration is expected to grant a Category 1 rating to Vietnam soon, giving its airlines the opportunity to fly to the United States and codeshare with American carriers, Reuters reported, citing unnamed US officials.
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There are currently no non-stop flights between the two countries, despite a large market catering to tourism and visits by friends and relatives.
National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and privately-run Bamboo Airways have both expressed the desire to fly to the United States, but are barred from doing so until the Southeast Asian nation receives the Category 1 rating.
Last year, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sent a team to Vietnam to conduct a safety assessment, industry publication Aviation Week said.
Unlike Thailand, which once had a Category 1 rating and is seeking to regain it after a downgrade to Category 2, Vietnam does not hold a FAA rating.
Vietnam's rapidly growing aviation market saw traffic increase 16% on average each year from 2010 to 2017, data from its civil aviation regulator shows.
Its airlines, which also include budget carriers VietJet Aviation JSC and Jetstar Pacific, are major customers of Boeing Co and Airbus SE.
