United has first US flight to Vietnam in 30 years

United Airlines on Thursday launched the first daily flight service to Vietnam from the United States since 1975.

The flight represents the first such service by an American air carrier since the end of the Vietnam War and comes amid growing trade and tourism ties between the nations.

The inaugural United flight from San Francisco to Ho Chi Minh City carried US and Vietnamese officials, business executives and others, including actor David Hasselhoff, who was traveling to Vietnam with a charity group.

The Boeing 747 was scheduled to stop in Hong Kong before landing late on Friday in the city formerly known as Saigon.

United is seeking to market its new service to California's large Vietnamese emigre community, many of whom fled Vietnam after the war and who largely oppose relations with the communist government of Hanoi.

The airline, fighting to emerge from bankruptcy protection, reworked its ads for Vietnamese-language radio after local stations suggested changes to take account of political sensitivities, said United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski.

Draft advertisements had referred to Vietnam's most populous city as "Ho Chi Minh City," using the formal name that it was given in 1976 when it was renamed after the revolutionary founder of the communist republic.

Urbanski said the advertisements will now refer to either simply Vietnam or "Ho Chi Minh City - also known as Saigon."

"We wanted to please all our of customers so we will use both names," she said.

The last US flight to leave Vietnam was by defunct Pan American.

- REUTERS