Major blow for airport as operator pulls out of big summer launch

THE tour operator which only last month announced it would start flights to China from Birmingham Airport this summer has now pulled out.
Beijing Capital Airlines owner Caissa Touristic has withdrawn “for unknown reasons”, Birmingham Airport has announced.

Ironically the news comes at the end of the week when a Chinese businessman bought Aston Villa and a Chinese company bought Mercedes-Benz dealerships in the region.

Paul Kehoe, chief executive of Birmingham Airport, said, “We have been advised by Caissa that these flights will no longer operate this summer. 
“There is strong demand for flights between China and the Midlands. Last year around 150,000 people flew between our region and China and we have made significant investment over the last two years to offer services with Caissa. We are currently unaware as to the reasons why given the success of the China services over the last two summers from Birmingham. 
“We are awaiting more information from the tour operator as to why it has made this decision but we are confident that we will be able to reinstate services from between Birmingham and China in the future.”
The planned programme was for two services – once a week to Beijing and once per week to Shanghai’s Hangzhou Airport.
It follows two years of charter services where Caissa Touristic carried thousands of Chinese tourists into Birmingham for package holidays in the UK.

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