For the first time direct non-stop flights are being sold for journeys from the UK to Vietnam.
Vietnam Airlines has confirmed that flights are now on sale on their website prior to the full service launch on 8 December 2011. The national carrier will fly between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and London Gatwick and will initially offer two return flights per week to each city. It is estimated that flight frequency could increase to seven per week by the year 2014.
Almost 90,000 British travellers visited Vietnam in 2010 which is an increase of some 28% on the 2009 visitor figures. It will certainly give travellers more choice and more time to spend in fascinating Vietnam without the interruption of connecting flights. It also means that visitors can use Vietnam as a hub to explore Southeast Asia further, maybe also including trips into Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.