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.
Mark Dunford
By Mark Dunford
Published 15th Feb 2024, 10:12 BST

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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.

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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.

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 | Picture: submittedPassengers 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 | Picture: submitted
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 | Picture: submitted

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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.

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“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.

Related topics:LondonSouth East