The Transport Ministry has approved a US$40,000 investment for the CAAV for the purpose.
Based on the evaluation, the FAA will map out plan and issue official announcement on the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) to the CAAV. As part of its preparations for the assessment, the CAAV has implemented a project on enhancing its safety checkup capacity by shoring up the CAAV’s action plans, providing trainings for its staff and updating related legal regulations and documents in line with the FAA standards. The move aimed to obtain the Category 1 (CAT 1) rating from the FAA, recognizing CAAV as having the capacity to ensure safety standards of Vietnamese airlines.
The project, which received US$ 0.56 million of financial support from the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), was completed in March, 2016.
Currently, Vietnam has no direct flight to the US. Last November, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines applied to the US Department of Transportation for providing direct service to the North American nation. However, in order for the application to be considered, the Vietnamese aviation management agency must meet safety supervision requirements as per FAA standards. Total passengers between Vietnam and the US reached 689,000 in 2016, and the number of travelers on the route increased at an annual average 8.4 percent during 2010-2016.
