Vietnam Airlines launches first route to the UK

A spectacular and colourful celebration was put on at London Gatwick’s new North Terminal forecourt when Vietnam Airlines launched its first routes to the UK. After speeches by the airline’s president and CEO Dr Pham Ngoc Minh and Gatwick Airport’s CEO Stewart Wingate, the dignitaries took turns at cutting parts of the ribbon. Dr Minh, who got the honour of cutting the final part, is here seen with Jeremy Hotchkiss, head, UK Department for Transport; Dinh La Thang, Vietnam’s Minister of Transport; Pham Viet Thanh, chairman of Vietnam Airlines; and Wingate.