London Gatwick expands Chinese connections with new Beijing and Guangzhou flights this summer
Passengers across London and the South East will benefit from 10 new flights per week between London Gatwick and China this summer, as major airlines Air China and China Southern announce new routes.
From 1 June, flag-carrier Air China will begin operating daily flights from London Gatwick to Beijing Capital Airport on A330-300 aircraft, before China Southern launches its three-per-week service to Guangzhou on 20 June, on Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
The new flights take London Gatwick’s number of weekly services to China to 26, alongside existing flights to Shanghai (China Eastern and Air China) and Zhengzhou (China Southern). These, combined with operations from Air India, Emirates, Saudia and Qatar Airways, alongside new Singapore Airlines services and Azerbaijan Airlines flights to Baku, mean there will be a total of 85 aircraft per week heading to Asia from London Gatwick this summer.
The additional routes will support not only passenger journeys but also regional and national trade opportunities. In 2023, the UK exported £37.5bn of goods and services to China – an 11.9% increase on 2022.
The flights will also provide an economic boost to the tourism industry across London and the South East, with Chinese visitors spending £1,937 per UK visit and £1.71 billion in total in 2019, according to Visit Britain.
Stephanie Wear, VP Aviation Development, London Gatwick said: “These new services to China are fantastic news for both passengers and businesses across London and the South East, providing greater opportunities for tourism and trade.
“Having welcomed both Air China and China Southern to the airport last year, the additional routes highlight the carriers’ commitment to growth at London Gatwick. Alongside China Eastern, we are delighted to continue growing these positive relationships with China’s three largest airlines.
“We can’t wait for these new services to take off and we look forward to developing our long-haul offer from London Gatwick across key markets like Asia.”
London Gatwick is investing in its long-term future and its planning application to bring the airport’s Northern Runway into regular use has recently been accepted for detailed examination by the Planning Inspectorate. This low-impact plan will improve resilience, reduce delays, and provide a significant boost to the national and regional economy by supporting trade, tourism, and new jobs. Full details of the updates and the revised plans are available on gatwickairport.com/futureplans.
NOTES
About Guangzhou
Guangzhou is China’s fifth largest city, with a population of around 14 million. It is also in the top 25 largest cities in the world. It is the capital of Guangdong province in southern China and home to some of the country’s most prestigious universities.
About London Gatwick
London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest airport, and the world’s busiest single-runway airport. More than 40 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 45 long-haul destinations. Passengers can travel from London Gatwick to the centre of London in just half an hour, with a train leaving Gatwick every four minutes – as frequent as the London Underground. Passengers can also travel directly by train from London Gatwick to Brighton, Cambridge, Guildford, Southampton and Reading – alongside numerous other destinations.
London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest airport and is a vital piece of national infrastructure that helps drive both the regional and national economy. More than 40 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 45 long-haul destinations. The airport is focused on rebuilding and growing sustainably in the long term. It has ambitious plans to be a net zero airport by 2030 and increase capacity by bringing its Northern runway into routine use. Vinci Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99% interest.
The world’s leading private airport operator, VINCI Airports operates more than 70 airports in 13 countries. Thanks to its expertise as a global integrator, VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds and manages airports by providing its investment capacity and its know-how in optimizing operational performance, modernizing infrastructure and managing their operations and environmental transition. VINCI Airports is the first airport operator to have committed to an international environmental strategy in 2016, to achieve the goal of net zero emissions across its entire network by 2050.
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London, UK, 13 December 2023
Three biggest Chinese airlines to serve London Gatwick this winter as China Southern launches Zhengzhou flights
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