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By: - 11th December 2004 at 18:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That really earnt a '!!!' :D
By: - 11th December 2004 at 18:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
No more so than Lufthansa serving the UK, really.
By: - 11th December 2004 at 22:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great news for local businesses in Vietnam
Probably work for them. Maybe they could fly ORD & LAX - Ho Chi Minh City or even fly SFO-Hanoi.
Cambodia next?
By: - 12th December 2004 at 12:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Maybe I'm just jaded and have read one too many books about the rape of vietnam by our good 'ol boys. I feel for the poor women holding the lanterns...
United to the Vietnamese: "we're baaaaaack!! :diablo: "
Posts: 2,114
By: EAL_KING - 11th December 2004 at 18:06
US airline starts Vietnam flights
First flight in: Passengers were greeted by women carrying lanterns
The first commercial flight from the United States to Vietnam since the war nearly 30 years ago has landed in Ho Chi Minh City.
The new service by United Airlines will fly daily from San Francisco.
The United States normalised diplomatic relations with Vietnam in the 1990s, but flights were not then re-instated.
The last US flight left Vietnam in April 1975 as communist troops surrounded the city, which was then called Saigon.
The blue and white United Airlines Flight 869 arrived at shortly after 2200 local time (1500 GMT) on Friday.
Passengers - including US actor David Hasselhoff - were given a red carpet welcome by women in traditional dress carrying lanterns.
Hollywood film
"Today's direct service marks a new beginning for a relationship that holds tremendous potential," said US ambassador to Vietnam, Michael Marine, referring to the trade and tourism opportunities for both countries.
His words were echoed by Chien Tam Nguyen, Vietnam's ambassador to the US, who said the new air links would further "the understanding, friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation" between the two.
The last US flight out of Vietnam was made all the more remarkable for attempts by Pan-Am's country director to get his staff and their relatives out before the communists arrived.
In order to clear the bureaucratic hurdles, he had to legally adopt them - more than 300 people.
The story was celebrated in the Hollywood film, Last Flight Out.
America and Vietnam only normalised diplomatic relations in the mid-1990s, and ties between the two have been rather slow in coming.
But the resumption of commercial flights is evidence that the relationship between the two former enemies is now really taking off.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4084195.stm