Manchester Airport announces direct flights to Shanghai

Manchester Airport has announced details of direct flights to China’s biggest city.

Juneyao Air has chosen the airport for its first ever UK service, which will operate three-times-a-week using the state-of-the-art Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner to Shanghai.

The news has been hailed as “a key step towards making the North one of the world’s most globally competitive regions” and is tipped to unlock hundreds of millions of pounds-worth of trade, investment and tourism benefits.

The new route will be a major boost for the 180,000 people and businesses within Manchester Airport’s catchment area who already travel to Shanghai, ranked as one of the top five Global Financial Centres.

And business, university and cultural leaders say the link will stimulate further valuable connections between the Far East and all parts of the North.

Manchester Airport CEO Andrew Cowan said: “This news underlines the critical role Manchester Airport plays in connecting people and businesses across the North to the world’s most important markets.

“We have seen first-hand how new routes to high-growth economies can unlock significant trade, cultural and knowledge exchange opportunities and this will be no different.

“We are delighted that Juneyao Air has recognised everything the North has to offer, in terms of its business base, natural and cultural assets and world-leading universities when choosing to launch this new service.

“I would like to thank all those who have worked hard to strengthen our region’s ties with China, especially the Manchester China Forum, in recent years.”

Originally a fishing village and market town, Shanghai has grown to be one of the world’s key economic powerhouses, with a population of nearly 25 million.

It is home to the worlds’ busiest container port and seen as a leading hub for finance, innovation and transportation, providing wide-ranging collaboration opportunities for the North.

Juneyao’s services with operate initially via Helsinki, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It will arrive into Manchester at 08.30 and depart for Shanghai at 10:00. Juneyao will operate a Dreamliner, with business and economy cabins, on the route.

Wang Junjin, Juneyao Air Chariman, said: “Juneyao Air is delighted to launch its first fifth-freedom route to Manchester, and we look forward to developing Manchester’s traffic growth in the coming years. This route will further promote Greater Manchester’s tourism, as well giving Britain an opportunity to boost its trade and investment links to China.”

This new long-haul route is just one of several the airport has confirmed in recent years and is a shot in the arm for the entire region.

Following the launch of the airport’s Beijing service three years ago, the region has seen masses of benefits such as a 38% increase in the number of Chinese visitors, average spend per visit increasing by 94% (5% ahead of the national average) and export values growing by 41%.

Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “Forging closer links between China and the Northern Powerhouse is crucial to increasing the contribution the North makes to the UK economy and reinforces the role of
Manchester Airport as the global, long-haul gateway to the North – a Heathrow for the North bringing investment, growth and skilled jobs to the region.

“This new route to Shanghai and others including to the US and Bangladesh, is not simply about connecting the people of the North West to the world. It is a chance for all of the Northern Powerhouse’s 15 million people to create new opportunities for them and their families.”

Juneyao Air is one of the leading private-owned carriers in mainland China. Founded in September 2006, the carrier now owns 72 aircraft, consisting of Airbus A320s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline operates more than 160 routes linking major cities in China as well as international destinations. In 2018 Juneyao Air carried over 18 million passengers.

Juneyao Air’s flagship – the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner features two cabins offering comfortable ergonomic seating, enhanced definition intuitive touch personal entertainment screens and wireless internet access.

All seats in business class have direct access to the aisle and can be fully reclined into a bed position, giving passengers a superior sleep experience, which greatly enhance the level of the travel comfort.

The seats in the economy class are designed to provide comfortable personal space and state-of-the-art individual on-demand entertainment.