Vietnam Airlines has announced will probably be extending its services from Gatwick Airport.
During the summer, Vietnam’s flagship carrier will add a fifth weekly service from Gatwick, increasing its Ho Chi Minh City route from two to 3 flights every week. The airline may also continue to serve Hanoi twice per week.
The announcement comes because the UK and Vietnam celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between both countries. Throughout 2013, a programme of cultural, educational and innovation exchanges and events will mark the milestone year.
Relations have grown rapidly between the united kingdom and Vietnam, with the 2 countries signing a Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2010 to assist boost bilateral trade, economic ties and investment. The ensuing year, Vietnam Airlines announced it had chosen Gatwick as its exclusive partner within the UK, launching the country’s first nonstop flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in winter 2011.
Vietnam is without doubt one of the ultimate destinations within the Asia-Pacific region with around 100,000 UK holidaymakers travelling to the rustic every year. Vietnam is usually a key emerging marketplace for business. Designated one of several UK Trade and Investment’s ‘High Growth Markets’, bilateral trade increased by over 26% in 2011, with UK exports of products and services to Vietnam reaching £520m.*
Alongside its expanded links to Vietnam, Gatwick already serves the important thing emerging markets of China, Russia and Turkey. Additionally, the UK’s first direct path to Indonesia – South East Asia’s largest economy – will launch from Gatwick later this year, serving Jakarta six times every week.
Matt Wood, Head of Airline Relations, said: “We are delighted that Vietnam Airlines has decided to expand its services from London Gatwick in the course of the summer months, ensuring that both business and leisure passengers now have much more collection of when to fly to this fantastic destination.
“Air links to high-growth markets which includes Vietnam are essential in ensuring that the united kingdom can compete and reap the benefits of the numerous trade opportunities available with key emerging markets. Gatwick continues to illustrate that it could possibly open up these links but additionally, by working closely with our airlines, lead them to successful.”
David Cook, Sales Manager UK, Vietnam Airlines, said: “Following our successful launch of the primary ever nonstop services from the united kingdom to Vietnam, UK arrivals into Vietnam rose by over 40 per cent year on year. We’re very encouraged by the positive results to date, and are actually trialling additional frequency in the summertime months to gauge market response, so that it will possible future expansion into 2014.”
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