Trinh Van Quyet, chairman and chief executive of FLC, the Hanoi-based real estate and resorts group that owns the airline, said Bamboo had applied to US aviation authorities for permission to fly to the US and was now pinning down details of the non-stop flight.

“We will start in the first quarter of 2020 if we get permission by the end of this year,” Mr Quyet told the Financial Times.

The US Federal Aviation Administration in February opened the door to direct flights, awarding Vietnam a “Category 1” rating confirming the country meets international safety standards. That cleared Vietnamese airlines to fly to the US and code-share with American carriers. However, inpidual airlines must also secure FAA and Department of Transportation approval to fly to the country.

National carrier Vietnam Airlines is considering launching flights to the US west coast. VietJet Air, its biggest competitor, is believed to be weighing a similar move, but declined to comment on its plans.

The competition to launch Vietnam’s first direct US flight comes as passenger numbers soar, driven primarily by rising international tourist arrivals and as more people in one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies travel overseas. According to CAPA-Centre for Aviation, Vietnam had roughly 38m international passengers and 16m visitors in 2018, up from 18m passengers and 8m visitors in 2015.

VNF