First direct flight to China takes off today

TODAY marks the start of a long-awaited direct, scheduled flight from Manchester Airport to mainland China.

Announced in October last year by the President of the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency Xi Jinping, the four times a week Hainan Airlines service will link Manchester and Beijing.

Northern businesses, stakeholders, MPs and tourism bodies will gather at the airport this morning to celebrate the inaugural flight, which leaves at 12.30 with a water cannon salute.

Experts say the Manchester-Beijing route is worth at least £250m in economic benefits to the UK over the next decade and that two-thirds of this will be felt directly in the northern economy in terms of increased jobs, economic activity and tourism.

The non-stop route will also generate journey time savings worth £5m every year for business passengers, with the service taking approximately 10 hours to reach the Chinese capital.

Ken O’Toole, chief executive of Manchester Airport, said that today’s inaugural flight is clear evidence of the vital economic role that Manchester Airport plays both nationally and regionally within the UK.

It will also deliver a boost to universities, he said, both in terms of providing a service for Chinese students and their families, and when it comes to finding commercial applications for the world-leading research being carried out by these institutions.

O’Toole said: “Providing a direct link between the two cities unlocks significant trade and investment opportunities, which will serve as a shot in the arm to efforts to create a re-energised northern economy.

“This direct route will also have a significant impact on inbound tourism across the whole of the north. And the early indications are good, with summer load factors currently averaging out at more than 80%.”

Xie Haoming, President of Hainan Airlines, said: “Beijing to Manchester’s inaugural outbound and inbound flight load factors have reached over 90%, which is incredibly strong for a new route.

“A great number of travel agencies expressed their strong interest in working with Hainan Airlines, based upon the new route, which is encouraging for future travel between the two cities.

“With the ‘Golden Age’ of travel starting between China and the UK, it is foreseeable that the market between the two countries is entering a prosperous period.

“I am sure the route between Manchester and Beijing will be incredibly popular and we look forward to developing our relationship with the city.”

The new route has been welcomed by businesses, universities and tourism bodies across the whole of the north as a major milestone in the drive to create a Northern Powerhouse, opening up a wealth of trade and tourism opportunities.

Dr Neil Robinson, a tourism expert from the University of Salford, said direct flights to China are a must for any destination hoping to develop its tourism economy.

He added:  “Manchester has a big Chinese community and the notion that we can’t fly direct from the city to mainland China seems crazy. Hopefully this new flight to Beijing will further establish Manchester and the North West region as a whole, as a great place to do business, but also a great place for a holiday.

“For too long business development has been Londoncentric, hopefully this new flight will provide a much needed to boost to the North West and its tourism and business economies.”

Richard Bell, managing partner for regional markets at Deloitte, said the launch is key to unlocking more of the potential trade and investment opportunities that exist between the UK and The Far East.

“In particular, access to this route will provide greater scope for businesses across the north to explore the potential of the Chinese market for export, whilst at the same time allowing Chinese visitors an additional gateway into the UK,” he said.

David Pinder, the chief executive of Baxi in Preston said that as a a business with operations in both the UK and the Far East, the importance of direct connectivity cannot be underestimated.

“Being able to access a non-stop service to mainland China from an airport within easy reach of our North West/Midlands bases will deliver a range of business benefits in terms of productivity and efficiency, which in turn helps drive growth. We hope to see the service go from strength-to-strength in the coming months and years,” he added.

Rhys Whalley, executive director of the Manchester-China Forum, which has lobbied hard for the direct route for many years, said Hainan Airlines’ decision to operate the scheduled route out of Manchester is recognition of the scale of growing traffic and collaboration between the two regions.

“Given its importance as a catalyst in boosting commercial, tourism, cultural and academic links, securing a direct route into Mainland China has been the Manchester China Forum’s number one priority; so to be able to celebrate the launch of a non-stop service to Beijing today is a proud moment,” he added.

Hainan Airlines, China’s largest privately owned airline, was last year rated as the Best Airline in China, by Skytrax.

Its four-weekly service departs on Friday, Saturday, Monday and Wednesday, and will be served by an Airbus A330-300. The cabin will have 32 business class seats and 260 in economy. Return fares start from £487.