United resumes flight to Vietnam after 30-year hiatus

United resumes flight to Vietnam after 30-year hiatus United Airlines Thursday launched the first scheduled flight of a U.S. airline to Vietnam in almost 30 years.
   The indirect flight departs San Francisco and arrives in Hong Kong, before continuing to Ho Chi Minh City. The flight also stops at Hong Kong eastbound before returning to San Francisco.
   “Today’s historic flight resulting from the aviation agreement we concluded a year ago represents the beginning of a renewed relationship that will bring families closer together and open new doors for businesses both in the United States and Vietnam,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta.
   “On behalf of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, I welcome direct air service and the closer economic and cultural ties between our two countries,” United quoted Chien Tam Nguyen, the Vietnamese ambassador to the United States, as saying.