Manchester secures direct Beijing flights

MANCHESTER Airport has achieved one of its top targets – securing direct flights to Beijing.

The new service, the first ever secured out of Manchester, will begin in June 2016 and will be operated four times a week by Hainan Airlines – which has been linked with the move in the aviation trade for nearly a year.

The airport was hoping to announce the development today,  when China’s President Xi Jinping concludes his state visit to the UK in Manchester, but the news emerged 24 hours earlier in a newspaper column written by The Chinese Ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming.

The Ambassador wrote: “During the state visit, President Xi will attend the launch of a new direct flight between Manchester and Beijing. These are on top of a host of substantial co-operation agreements to be signed between the two sides covering economy, trade, investment, infrastructure, scientific innovation, manufacturing and sports.

“Together, they will catapult exchanges and cooperation between Manchester, the Northern Powerhouse and Chinese cities across the board.”

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