US authorities to evaluate aviation security of Vietnam Airlines

"The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will make an evaluation of aviation security work in Vietnam serving regular operations of Vietnam Airlines.

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will make evaluation of aviation security work in Vietnam serving regular operations of Vietnam Airlines, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) said in a report sent to the Transport Ministry."

"According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, on October 25, 2021, the representative of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in charge of Vietnam Airlines has informed Vietnam Airlines (VNA) in writing that the airline has been approved to use the  TSA's Aviation Security Program to secure routine commercial flights to the United States.

According to the above written notice, Vietnam Airlines has accepted TSA's authority of the aeronautic security evaluation for Vietnam Airlines. If it's during the period of TSA Evaluation, TSA's supervisors cannot evaluate the security at Vietnam airports where Vietnam Airlines has flights to the United States, the airline will immediately withdraw that acceptance.

Vietnam Airlines then reported to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam on the preparation of routine commercial operations to the US, in which it suggested that the CAAV soon work with the US's TSA on the assessment to allow Vietnam Airlines to have flights to the US.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam also received a notice from the US Embassy in Vietnam and the Chief Representative of TSA in charge of Vietnam about the plan to evaluate the aviation security of Vietnam Airlines. As scheduled, three aviation security supervisors of TSA will arrive in Vietnam in two phases to assess security conditions at terminals to serve Vietnam Airlines' direct flights to the US, namely Noi Bai International Airport from December 2-7 and Tan Son Nhat International Airport from December 8-13. They will also examine security work of Vietnam Airlines and a number of businesses providing aircraft maintenance and repair services as well as airplane equipment to Vietnam Airlines.

The content of TSA's aviation security assessment is to assess Vietnam's compliance at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat with the standards and recommendations of practice (SARPs) of the World Civil Aviation Organization. ICAO; evaluating the compliance with TSA's regulations on aviation security assurance for Vietnam Airlines and other foreign airlines having flights to the United States from Vietnam as well as manufacturing, maintenance, repair aircraft, aircraft equipment for airlines such as VAECO, AESC...

This assessment is to complete the final steps for US authorities to consider allowing regular commercial direct flights for Vietnam Airlines.

Affirming that flights to the US are important in promoting multi-site cooperation, especially in economy, trade, tourism, education and exchanges between Vietnamese and American, Vice Director of the CAAV, Dinh Viet Son said that this has been carefully prepared for a long time and there is close cooperation between the authorities of the two countries. The Vietnamese authorities are coordinating to complete the final steps to carry out the flight plan of Vietnam Airlines and will continue to coordinate and support other Vietnamese airlines that wish and have the conditions to implement flights to the US.

It is known that in anti-pandemic measures, TSA's aviation security supervisory team committed to being fully vaccinated and will be tested for SARS-CoV-2 (effective within 3 days) before going to Vietnam."""