Vietnam Airlines flight VN55 landed at London Heathrow yesterday morning, marking the commencement of its non-stop services between the airport and Vietnam Airlines’ dual hubs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The occasion was marked by a welcome ceremony at Heathrow’s Terminal 4, where Vietnam Airlines will be based alongside its fellow SkyTeam members, as well as a series of special celebrations for passengers on arrival, at check-in, and in the T4 departure lounge.
Le Thanh Dzung, Vietnam Airlines’ General Manager UK & Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be joining our fellow SkyTeam partners here in Terminal 4. Operating from Heathrow means our passengers can now benefit from world-class airport facilities and unrivalled connectivity. Looking forward, it also enables us to offer the increased frequency and capacity needed to build on growing leisure and corporate demand for travel to Vietnam and the Indochina region.
“As one of the world’s most prestigious hub airports, Heathrow is the perfect platform on which to launch our brand new B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft – part of a major fleet-wide upgrade for Vietnam Airlines that will begin rolling out this summer. The new aircraft will also coincide with a fresh new corporate identity and improved service standards, with the aim of achieving 4-star Skytrax rating by 2016.”
Heathrow will become the first international destination on the Vietnam Airlines network to be served by the new next-generation Dreamliners. The new aircraft will feature in-flight wi-fi and fully flat beds in Business Class, and will also herald the launch of Vietnam Airlines’ new branding and corporate identity – establishing it as the leading carrier for the Indochina region.
Vietnam Airlines’ switch from London Gatwick to Heathrow will also see a substantial increase in the frequency of non-stop services to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, rising from four flights to five or six flights per week, following the deployment of the airline’s brand new B787-9s on its UK routes, and then increasing to a daily service for summer 2016. Vietnam Airlines will initially operate four flights per week from London Heathrow, with two weekly departures to Hanoi and two to Ho Chi Minh City.
