The addition of Air China and China Southern flights increases options for passengers and businesses.

This summer, travellers in London and the South East will enjoy 10 additional weekly flights to China from London Gatwick, thanks to new routes introduced by leading airlines Air China and China Southern.

Starting June 1, Air China will operate daily flights to Beijing Capital Airport using A330-300 aircraft, followed by China Southern’s inauguration of a thrice-weekly service to Guangzhou on June 20 with Boeing 787-8 aircraft.

These expansions will increase Gatwick’s weekly flights to China to 26, complementing existing services to Shanghai (offered by China Eastern and Air China) and Zhengzhou (provided by China Southern). This is in addition to flights from Air India, Emirates, Saudia, Qatar Airways, the new services by Singapore Airlines, and flights to Baku by Azerbaijan Airlines, bringing the total to 85 weekly flights to Asia from Gatwick this summer.

The new routes are poised to enhance both personal travel and business opportunities, supporting regional and national economic growth. In 2023, the UK’s exports to China surged by 11.9%, reaching £37.5 billion.

Moreover, these flights are expected to stimulate the local tourism industry, with Chinese tourists having spent an average of £1,937 per visit to the UK and a total of £1.71 billion in 2019, as reported by Visit Britain.

Stephanie Wear, VP of Aviation Development at London Gatwick, expressed enthusiasm about the new China services, highlighting their potential to boost tourism and trade for London and the South East. She acknowledged the commitment of Air China and China Southern to expanding at Gatwick and looked forward to further enhancing the airport’s long-haul offerings, particularly to Asia.