Direct Manchester – China flights resume
The Northwest is set for an economic boost as direct air links with China are restored from today.
It is the first flights since the start of the pandemic.
Hainan Airlines will resume its Beijing-Manchester service from 22 August.
The airline started flights from Manchester in 2016.
The UK and Chinese governments recently agreed Manchester-China was one of the air corridors that could resume after a two-and-a-half year hiatus.
Hainan moved quickly to restart the service again, in time for the student season.
The news has been hailed as a major boost to the North and the UK’s levelling-up ambitions.
Manchester Airport becomes the only gateway outside of London with a direct service to mainland China.
Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, said:”This is clear evidence of the vital economic role that Manchester Airport plays, both in the North and the UK as a whole, as we emerge from the pandemic.”
“I am sure this news will be welcomed by the hundreds of thousands of people across the North who travel to and from China each year.”
Pre-pandemic, there were around 100,000 people a year who travelled between Manchester and Beijing from the airport’s catchment area.
The outbound service to Beijing will initially stop in the Chinese city of Dalian, but the inbound service will be direct from Beijing.
From October the service will operate on a Tuesday.
Tao Zhu, CEO of Hainan Airlines said: “It is great to bring Hainan Airlines back to Manchester.”
Hainan will operate an A330 aircraft on the route with economy and business classes.
VisitEngland/VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said: “We want to deliver a world-class welcome for returning Chinese visitors and the resumption of services making it easier for them to get here is a crucial part of our competitive tourism offer.”
In 2019 China was the UK’s second most valuable inbound market, worth £1.7 billion.
Ray Monty
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