Strengthening Vietnam - UK railway and aviation cooperation

(Chinhphu.vn) - On the afternoon of July 29, in Hanoi, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh received and worked with British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew to strengthen cooperation in the fields of railways and aviation between the two countries.

Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh received and worked with British Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew - Photo: VGP

Thanking Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh for taking the time to welcome him, Ambassador Iain Frew affirmed that over more than half a century of cooperation, the bilateral relationship between the two countries has been continuously strengthened and developed. In particular, since 2010, the two countries have upgraded their relationship to a strategic partnership and expressed joy that bilateral trade turnover has reached more than 8 billion USD in 2024.

Ambassador Iain Frew said that last June, the British Business Association in Vietnam also met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to discuss cooperation and development in the field of trade between businesses of the two countries. In particular, the fields of infrastructure, digital transformation, green development, etc. have much potential for further development.

"Over the years, the British Government has worked with partners in Vietnam to support human resource development in the global infrastructure development program, introduce construction contracts, BIM (building information modeling) ... and hope to have more opportunities to cooperate with Vietnam. I also look forward to hearing about the Ministry of Construction's plans for major projects that the Ministry will prioritize in the coming time, especially in areas where British businesses have expertise and experience to support," Ambassador Iain Frew shared.

Ho Chi Minh City - London flight route grows annually

Minister Tran Hong Minh affirmed that in the fields of construction and transportation, Vietnam and the UK have had many active cooperation activities in the fields of aviation, climate-compatible growth (CCG), digital transformation, and BIM (building information modeling).

In particular, aviation cooperation is prominent (According to the air transport agreement signed in 2011, Vietnam Airlines is operating flights from Ho Chi Minh City to/from London (LHR) and from Hanoi to/from LHR with the transport volume in the first 5 months of 2025 reaching 61,000 passengers, an increase of 9% over the same period in 2024. The seat utilization rate reached nearly 87%.

Minister Tran Hong Minh affirmed that in the fields of construction and transportation, Vietnam and the UK have had many active cooperation activities - Photo: VGP

In addition, the Minister said that Vietnam is currently considered one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the region, with an average passenger growth rate of 5-6% per year, with the goal of reaching 150 million passengers by 2035 and 200 million passengers by 2040 - nearly double that of 2019. Vietnam has also achieved Category 1 Certification (CAT 1) in aviation safety supervision - creating favorable conditions for expanding the international flight network. In particular, the Long Thanh International Airport Project - Phase 1 is being urgently implemented and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, which will be a highlight to elevate Vietnam's position in the regional and global aviation industry.

The Minister welcomed the cooperation initiative between Swire Group and HAECO Company in the Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Inspection Center (MRO) project at Van Don Airport (Quang Ninh). This is an important cooperation model, both directly serving the development needs of the domestic aviation industry and creating a high-quality supporting industry value chain.

Welcome consulting businesses on high-speed railways

Regarding the railway sector, the Minister said that the Vietnamese Government is promoting the implementation of a number of key projects such as: Railway routes connecting with China; North-South high-speed railway project; Urban railway routes in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Regarding the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis, the Vietnamese National Assembly has approved the Project Investment Policy with a total route length of about 1,541 km, double track gauge of 1,435 mm, design speed of 350 km/h, total estimated investment of more than 67 billion USD. The implementation progress strives to be basically completed by 2035. Currently, the Project is in the stage of selecting project management consultants and consultants to prepare a Feasibility Study Report.

"This is a large, complex project that plays an important role in the socio-economic development of Vietnam, so it is necessary to have the participation of consulting companies with great capacity and experience in the world. I believe that, as a bridge between the British Government and Vietnam, the Ambassador will continue to support and accompany the Ministry of Construction in the process of implementing strategic cooperation programs, for the sustainable development and prosperity of both countries," said the Minister.

Phan Trang

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/tang-cuong-hop-tac-duong-sat-hang-khong-viet-nam-vuong-quoc-anh-102250729203327585.htm