Cargolux has announced that it will fly twice a week to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, starting October 29.

The first flight will operate every Monday evening out of Luxembourg via Dubai and return via Bangkok. A Friday flight will go via Dammam and return via Hong Kong and Sharjah.

"We see a good development potential on the Vietnam-Europe route. The Vietnamese economy is growing and there is more and more airfreight-related production," said Cargolux vice president Robert Van de Weg.

Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam deputy director Lai Xuan Thanh said the airline had been granted commercial rights by the Vietnamese government. As a result, the European carrier will have the right to transport goods not only from Luxembourg but also from Dubai, Dammam, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Sharjah to Vietnam and back to Luxembourg.

From Vietnam, Cargolux will mainly fly garments, footwear, handicrafts and electronics to Europe, with additional seafood products, fruit and vegetables for Asian destinations, the airline said in a statement.