HANOI,Vietnam- Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier of Vietnam, will open direct flights from capital Hanoi and southern HCM City to London from December 8, with four flights a week by Boeing 777, announced the carrier here on Thursday.

London will become Vietnam Airlines' 4th gateway to Europe, besides Paris (France), Frankfurt (Germany) and Moscow (Russia), which together will increase direct flights by Vietnam Airlines to Europe to eight routes.

Vietnam Airlines plans to have seven flights per week to London by 2015.

According to Deputy General Director of Vietnam Airlines Trinh Hong Quang, the opening of direct flights between Vietnam and the UK will help Vietnam Airlines improve its services for passengers to Europe and promote trade and investment, and cultural exchange between the two countries in particular, and Vietnam and Europe in general.

Since Vietnam and Britain lifted their relations to strategic partnership in September 2010, the two-way trade turnover has quickly increased, reaching more than $2 billion. To date, the UK ranks third among European investors in Vietnam, with a total registered capital of nearly $3 billion.

Bilateral cooperation in other fields has also expanded. The number of British tourists to Vietnam increases more than 20 percent annually.