October 31, 20214 yr A Bamboo Airways plane takes off from HCMC's Tan Son Nhat Airport. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy The first Vietnam-U.K. direct flight routes were announced by Bamboo Airways on Sunday, with APG UK being the airline's representative in the U.K. The announcement reported by VN Express, was witnessed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is in the U.K. for the COP26 climate meeting and other tasks. Flights could start in 2021 Trinh Van Quyet, chairperson of Bamboo Airways, said direct flights could commence within this year once both countries allow the resumption of commercial flights between the two. The airline would have direct flights connecting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with London, with six expected round trips a week. Flight frequency may increase based on demands. The direct flights would help cut down travel time between Vietnam and the U.K. to around 12 hours, seven hours quicker than flights that require transit. Flights are expected to drop and take passengers at the Heathrow Airport's Terminal 2, connecting Vietnam's Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat Airport to the U.K.'s largest airport. Flights would be done using the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Nguyen Hoang Long, Vietnamese ambassador to the U.K., said opening direct flights between Vietnam and the U.K. would contribute to commerce and people's exchange between the two countries, especially for the Vietnamese community in the U.K. At the announcement event, Bamboo Airways also introduced APG UK, a passenger and cargo representation company, as its representative at the U.K. market, supporting the airline regarding aviation policies and procedures, sales and marketing and customer support, among other tasks. London (File photo) There are currently over 100,000 Vietnamese studying and living in the U.K., and around 60 percent of them are in London. In 2019, the number of visitors from the U.K. to Vietnam reached 315,000, a 105 percent increase from 2018, according to the General Statistics Office. Join our 3 x a week Vietnam News, Travel and Expat information newsletter and keep up to date. https://aseannow.com/newsletter.php
Create an account or sign in to comment