Bamboo Airways secures slots for non-stop flights to London at start of May

Accordingly, Bamboo Airways obtained slots to operate six flights a week to Heathrow Airport, including three flights from Heathrow Airport to Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and three flights to Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

Bamboo Airways flights will arrive at 3:30pm and depart at 5:40pm from Terminal 2.

Observers predicted that Bamboo Airways will exploit direct flights from Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City to London with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the flagship aircraft in its long-haul fleet.

Additionally, Bamboo would be up against no competition for the time being if it were to start its service. Although the flight movements at Heathrow have recently decreased due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the overall tourism potential and outlook of London, the world's top tourist destination, still whips up carriers’ enthusiasm for slot allocation in this airport.

Last year, Bamboo Airways planned to fly directly to London (the UK) and Frankfurt (Germany) in the first quarter of 2021. However, this plan was delayed because international flights were suspended due to the epidemic.

Remarkably, during the COVID-19 period, Bamboo Airways operated non-stop flights to transport citizens in Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Hanoi to London.

Bamboo Airways' fleet features state-of-the-art aircraft including Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Responding to reporters' questions, the Bamboo Airways representative confirmed the information, adding that slots were allocated in March 2021. Bamboo Airways will be eligible to start its non-stop route to London as early as May with permission from the government and favourable market conditions.

“Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports makes way for Bamboo Airways' international flight network to better connect with the most crowded airport destinations, thereby, contributing to helping Bamboo Airways better meet the travel needs of international passengers, enhance Vietnam's tourism brands to the European market, as well as promote bilateral trade and investment between Vietnam and the UK,” the representative said.

Located in West London, Heathrow Airport is the main gateway connecting London with more than 170 destinations worldwide. London has risen to the top tourist destination across the world, so there is little doubt that its main gateway is the world's busiest airport.

Heathrow Airport in London, UK

Additionally, Heathrow is widely known for owning the world's most expensive slots. Carriers might spend up to tens of millions of dollars getting the slot pairs they want.

Recently, in response to Bloomberg, chairman of Bamboo Airways Trinh Van Quyet also expressed his wish that the government would "cautiously" reopen international commercial routes from the end of the second quarter or the beginning of the third quarter of this year, when COVID-19 is effectively controlled across the country.

Bamboo Airways said that its international flight promotion activities are now ready. Direct flights to South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan are available from the second quarter of 2021. The procedures for opening new direct flights to Tokyo (Japan), Melbourne, Sydney (Australia), Singapore, and other international destinations are still being carried out in parallel to be able to open as soon as the conditions are favourable.

Bamboo Airways has been licensed to fly directly to the US by the US Department of Transport since the fourth quarter of 2021.