Vietnam
Airlines plans to launch direct flights to the United Kingdom by the end of this
year, president and CEO Pham Ngoc Minh said.

Minh
made the announcement at a workshop in the British capital on Tuesday entitled
“London – the prospective destination of Vietnam Airlines”.

Minh
said relations between Viet Nam and Britain had flourished over the last few
years, and that London, a global aviation hub, was of strategic interest to the
Vietnamese flag carrier.

About
90,000 passengers flew between the UK and Viet Nam last year, an increase of 28
per cent against 2009.

There
are about 40,000 Vietnamese people living and working in Britain, and 7,000
students studying in the country.

“There
is great potential for the air travel market between our two countries that
warrant direct links,” he said. “We came up with the initial assumption that we
could start launching flights by the end of this year [from Ha Noi and HCM City
to airports in London].”

Vu Quang
Minh, the Vietnamese ambassador to Britain, said Vietnam Airlines’ decision to
launch direct flights between the two countries had the “strong political
support of both governments” and was a goal of the Joint Declaration to
establish a strategic partnership between the two countries in September 2010.
He quoted the document as saying: “Both sides welcome and support Vietnam
Airlines’ intention to begin direct flights between the UK and Viet Nam, which
will have a favourable effect on trade, investment, as well as tourism and
education co-operation”.

Rob
Lally, deputy director of the UK Trade and Investment in Asia organisation, said
an increasing number of British investors were looking to do business in Viet
Nam. “All we want to do is help improve the business network and direct flights
will help,” he said, adding that he hoped Viet Nam would become a tourism hub
for holidaymakers wishing to travel to Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

A number
of British business people, including those in the travel industry, attended the
workshop.

Paul
Smith from Harvey Nash Outsourcing Company said he expected the Vietnamese
economy to grow significantly over the next five years and that direct flights
would be “a return investment”.

Vietnam
Airlines plans to use B777-200ER for direct services to London. Initially, there
will be four flights a week, rising to seven by 2014. Last year, the airline
carried 12.3 million passengers and earned a revenue of US$1.9 billion.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News