Yesterday saw Bamboo Airways operate its first commercial flight between Hanoi and London Heathrow. The services have been long-awaited, with Bamboo's only previous visits to the UK being for repatriation or test purposes. Going forward, it will fly to the British capital twice a week, using the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

London calling

On March 22nd, a Bamboo Airways Boeing 787-9 touched down at London Heathrow (LHR) in the late-afternoon sun. While the Vietnamese leisure carrier has flown to the UK's largest and busiest airport before, this was a service with a difference. Specifically, it was the first scheduled flight with paying passengers.

As seen in the tweet above, the airline noted that it was the first non-stop commercial flight to the UK from Vietnam. It originated at Hanoi's Nội Bài International Airport (HAN), which is one of Bamboo's main hubs. According to Travel Weekly, the airline's CEO, Dang Tat Thang, welcomed the launch, stating that:

"We are delighted that we can now fly passengers from London Heathrow direct to Hanoi at an affordable rate. London is one of the world’s financial and cultural hubs, so we expect our new service will further promote the connectivity between Vietnam and the UK, thus contributing to leveraging Vietnamese aviation in the global market."

Two rotations a week

Bamboo Airways presently plans to link Hanoi and London on a twice-weekly basis. According to data from FlightRadar24.com, yesterday's inaugural service departed the Vietnamese capital at 11:34 local time. After 12 hours and 39 minutes in the air, it touched down at London Heathrow under clear skies at 17:13.

This service operated under the flight number QH23, with the return to Hanoi set to be designated as QH24. FlightRadar24 shows that this service is set to depart Heathrow at 12:05 today, and land in Hanoi at 06:30 local time tomorrow. Commenting on the new route, Heathrow's CCO, Ross Baker, stated that:

"As demand begins to recover, we’re delighted to welcome Bamboo Airways to the Heathrow family. The frequent direct flights from the UK’s hub airport to Vietnam will give British businesses access to a fast-growing market, and give passengers the opportunity to visit the remarkable destinations Vietnam has to offer."

Three classes of travel

The aircraft that operated yesterday's inaugural services was a Boeing 787-9 registered as VN-A819. According to data from ch-aviation.com, the jet is 2.35 years old, and one of three Dreamliners that presently make up Bamboo Airways widebody fleet. Going forward, the airline has another 11 of the modern twinjets on order.

Passengers traveling on Bamboo's 787s have three classes of travel to choose from. The majority of the jet's 294 seats can be found in its 247-seat, nine-abreast economy class section. There is also a seven-abreast 21-seat premium economy cabin, with the 787's 26 business class flatbeds being laid out four-abreast.