Air China has completed the country’s first uptake of sustainable aviation fuel in a commercial flight with an Airbus A350-900 flying from Hangzhou to Beijing.
China’s aviation authority has given the go-ahead for carriers to start four new international passenger services, including flights to Madrid and Toronto.
As World Routes returns to mainland China, Routesonline is providing a snapshot on the leading international airlines and international airports and most used aircraft types on international flights from the country and highlights the country's top performers during the first half of 2016.
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 new initiative will be led by senior executives from both carriers, who will meet regularly to coordinate new initiative rollouts, promote closer cultural integration between Air China and United, and prepare both companies for future joint opportunities, according to a joint statement.
The major US carrier is making strides in one of the fastest growing markets in the world, with a third secondary Chinese city route in their schedule. United will serve routes to Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu and now Hangzhou.
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.
The new service will place SilkAir in head-to-head competition with Jetstar Asia Airways which launched its own operations between Singapore and Hangzhou in March 2011.
