Since reclaiming Gia Lam Airport from the French over 45 years ago, Vietnam’s civil aviation industry has grown steadily into one of the country’s most vibrant economic sectors, and the national carrier - Vietnam Airlines – is now poised to become a major regional airline. Vietnam’s civil aviation started in 1956 with a fleet of only five small aircraft, the first international route was to Beijing, followed by Vientiane in 1976 and Bangkok in 1978