China’s aviation authority has given the go-ahead for carriers to start four new international passenger services, including flights to Madrid and Toronto.
This week: IndiGo expands service to Thailand’s capital city; Beijing Capital Airlines adds fourth route to Japan; and Viva Air Colombia to launch operations from Cali.
Four of the top six fastest-growing major airlines in the world over the past year were low-cost carriers, new research by Routesonline has found, highlighting their ongoing disruptive force on the industry. The analysis reveals the ten carriers which have grown their capacity the quickest.
This week: Georgian Airways plans seven new European routes, including Berlin, while Turkish Airlines is to resume Ankara–Paris CDG after a seven-year absence.
This week: Air France returns to the Nairobi market; the first service by a Chinese carrier from Qingdao to Western Europe; and Interjet’s first Canadian services from the famous Mexican leisure destination Cancun.
Air Canada has their sights set on the European market with their latest route announcements, which will mean connections from Vancouver to some of the most important airports in the continent.
A mix of existing and new airline partners officially signed-up to serve the fast-expanding Chinese gateway during a behind closed doors meeting on the opening day of business at World Routes and it is our understanding that there is more news to follow, with at least one other airline set to announce its expansion into Chengdu in the coming days.
Latest figures from VisitBritain state that tourist numbers to the UK from China were up 37 percent in the first nine months of 2015 as more than 200,000 Chinese holidaymakers visited the UK in the nine month period. VisitBritain is hoping to double spending from Chinese visitors to £1 billion by 2020, - they were already among the highest spenders ringing up £2,688 a head and already account for almost a quarter of tourist spending in the UK.
The airline, part of the HNA Group, has requested rights to introduce weekly services from Beijing and the first direct link to the UK from the Hangzhou, the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China.
In an interview with the Chinese media following the arrival of the A330 in China, Xu Xin, chief executive officer, Beijing Capital Airlines said that over the next five years the carrier intends to purchase at least 30 widebody aircraft to open more international routes between Chinese cities and major overseas tourist destinations.
