With more than a month since Chinese Covid-19 travel restrictions were finally lifted, visitor numbers are already projected to reach 100 million by the end of this year. Bringing a much-anticipated boost to the Chinese economy, the international aviation industry is turning its attention once more to China as a major destination. Here’s a round-up.
1. United Airlines
Non-stop operations recently started again for United Airlines’ four-times-a -week roundtrip flight between Shanghai-San Francisco. The route’s technical stopover in Seoul, South Korea, ceased on 28th January, reducing journey times from Shanghai to San Francisco by 2 hours and 20 minutes. The return flight duration has also been cut, by 1 hour and 35 minutes.
The new timetable means passengers can make same-day transfers at San Francisco more easily. Popular onward flights include Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York / Newark, and Washington.
Boeing 777-300ER craft serve the route, with 60 Polaris business cabin seats, 24 premium economy cabin seats, and 266 economy cabin seats.
2. Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines are also cancelling their Seoul stopover and are set to resume direct bi-weekly Airbus flights between the Detroit and Shanghai Pudong from 3rd March.
3. Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic is resuming its London-Shanghai route from 1 May 2023 after an interruption of 859 days. The Boeing 787-9 flights will be the last Virgin route to resume service.
4. British Airways
British Airways has been slightly slower off the mark, recommencing direct passenger services between the UK and Shanghai on April 23rd. Those wanting to fly to or from Beijing will have to wait until June 3rd.
5. Air France
Air France resumed its flights to China in early January and is now operating one flight per week to Beijing, and three weekly roundtrips to Shanghai and Hong Kong. A daily timetable for all these destinations is set to start again from July 2023.
6. KLM
With the start of the summer season in late March, KLM will gradually resume its flights to Greater China, eventually operating between Amsterdam, Hong Kong Beijing and Shanghai.
7. Japan Airlines
From early February, Japan Airlines (JAL) began offering one direct flight per week (on a Sunday) from Tokyo Haneda to Beijing.
8. Thai Airways
In addition to the newly resumed Guangzhou, Kunming, and Chengdu passages becoming more frequent this spring, Thai Airways’ is bringing back three Airbus flights a week on its Beijing-Bangkok route, from 2 March 2023. Shanghai-Bangkok is also in the pipeline.
9. Emirates
By mid-March, Emirates will be operating 21 flights a week to the Chinese mainland. Both Emirates’ Guangzhou-Shanghai and Dubai-Guangzhou routes have already become more frequent, with one flight per day. In addition, four Dubai-Shanghai flights per week will operate until March with a technical stopover in Bangkok. From then on, the route will be served daily by a direct connection. Dubai-Beijing will also resume on 15 March.
10. Egyptair
Egyptair is increasing its Guangzhou-Cairo flights from one flight per week to three by the end of February.
11. Kenya Airways
Kenya Airways meanwhile is offering two flights a week between Guangzhou to Nairobi from mid February, and from March 2nd will increase the service to three flights a week from Guangzhou to Nairobi and major African destinations.
