Vietnam Airlines ran its inaugural flight on the direct route to Heathrow Airport in London, the UK on March 31.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director of Heathrow John
Holland-Kaye said Vietnam has become an attractive destination for
tourism and business and that the switch from Gatwick airport to
Heathrow will secure regular direct flights from the UK to a vital
emerging market.
Head Representative of Vietnam Airlines in the
UK Le Thanh Dung highlighted that Vietnam Airlines’ customers now can
benefit from a world-class facility and its premium connection.
The
switch is expected to help the Vietnamese flagship carrier meet the
increasing demand for flights from foreign countries to Vietnam and the
Indochina region, Dung said.
Dung asserted the airlines will work
closely with Heathrow and other partners in the UK airline industry to
bridge tourism and trade between the two countries.
Beginning in
the second quarter of 2015, Vietnam Airlines will use its new fleet of
B787 and A350 to operate five to six weekly services from Heathrow to
Hanoi and HCM City. The carrier has also launched a programme to
increase its service quality and become the major carrier in Southeast
Asia.
Vietnam Airlines carried 90,803 passengers on return
flights between Vietnam and the UK in 2014, a surge from its first
direct flight to the European country in late 2011.
Vietnam
Airlines joined the SkyTeam Alliance on June 10, 2010. It is currently
operating 96 routes to 21 domestic destinations and 29 international
destinations with a capacity of over 300 flights a day.
Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe and the third busiest airport
in the world by total passenger traffic. In 2014, it handled a record
73.4 million passengers.
Intense demand at Heathrow prolonged the
agreement between the airport and Vietnam Airlines, which took seven
years to complete. There are currently 30 airlines waiting for slots.-VNA