After a short break over the winter, China’s flagship carrier Air China is planning to return to London Gatwick with flights to Beijing.
Starting summer, Air China will provide a non-stop service from London Gatwick to Beijing International Airport four times a week on the Airbus A330-200 aircraft, which offers Business Class and Economy Class seating.
Business class passengers will benefit from a complimentary limousine service at either end of their journey, fully-flat seats and access to Gatwick’s No1 Traveller Lounge in the North Terminal.
Xiaoming Wu, General Manager for Air China UK and Ireland, said: ‘There is an increasingly strong demand for air travel between the UK and China’s major cities. Last year alone the number of passengers who flew between the two countries exceeded two million and Air China feels that it is now an excellent opportunity to capture good business in such a massive market.
‘London Gatwick is conveniently located less than 30 minutes away from central London by the express train and offers great facilities to business passengers, making it ideal for Chinese services. We trust that together with Air China’s strong network across Asia and Australia, our flights between Gatwick and Beijing will greatly enhance the passenger travel experience as well as benefiting the communications and exchanges between people across the two countries.’
Stewart Wingate, London Gatwick Airport CEO, said: ‘Air China’s services to Beijing demonstrate that Gatwick can support long haul routes and make them a success. We are sure that London’s passengers, who continue to choose to fly from Gatwick, as well as Chinese travellers wanting easy access into central London, will be delighted to have even greater choice of flights between London and the Far East.
‘This route provides another essential air link to Beijing, a key high-growth market which offers UK businesses significant trade opportunities alongside the other emerging destinations Gatwick serves – from Vietnam to Russia and the Middle East.’
And beyond Beijing also, Air China’s connections across Asia and onto Australia are fast, affordable and diverse. The new regulation also offers the opportunity to stay in Beijing for up to 72 hours without the need for a visa, benefiting both business and leisure travellers.
