DALLAS — TT Meridian, a leading international logistics and trading company with a focus on the UK and Vietnam markets, announced a new all-cargo air route between the UK and Vietnam via Turkmenistan on May 19.

The first-of-its-kind route, operated by Turkmenistan Airlines (T5), is expected to boost bilateral trade activities between the two countries, whose free trade agreement went into effect in May 2021.

Thai Tran, Managing Director of TT Meridian, believes that it will give exporters, importers, and forwarding agents more options in addition to the market's existing direct and indirect services.

According to the UK Department for Business and Trade, Vietnam's total exports to the UK in 2022 were GBP5.9bn (US$7.34bn), a 30.3% increase over 2021. Meanwhile, total UK exports to Vietnam in 2017 were GBP1.0bn, a 22.3% increase year on year.

UK-Vietnam Cargo Route Aircraft, Frequency

The new all-cargo service employs A330 aircraft capable of carrying 30 tonnes. From May, the flight will depart on Wednesday evenings, local time, from London Stansted Airport (STN) to Turkmenistan's Ashgabat International Airport (ASB). The transit time is about four hours.

It then departs from the ASB on Thursday morning and arrives at Vietnam's Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) in the afternoon, local time. The return flight leaves Noi Bai on Thursday evening and arrives at the STN the following Wednesday morning. The transit time is 5 to 6 days.

The new all-cargo flights between the UK and Vietnam are also expected to pave the way for more goods to be transported by air between the two countries, he added.

Featured image: Turkmenistan Airlines A330-200P2F. Photo: Turkmenistan Airlines