Gatwick Airport secures additional Asia routes

LONDON - London Gatwick Airport increases its connectivity to mainland China: Air China will begin operating daily flights from London Gatwick to Beijing Capital Airport on A330-300 aircraft on 1 June , before China Southern launches its three-per-week service to Guangzhou on 20 June, on Boeing 787-8 aircraft.

"The new flights take London Gatwick’s number of weekly services to China to 26, alongside existing flights to Shanghai (China Eastern and Air China) and Zhengzhou (China Southern)," the airport said.

Combined with operations from Air India, Emirates, Saudia and Qatar Airways, alongside new Singapore Airlines services and Azerbaijan Airlines flights to Baku, there will be a total of 85 aircraft per week heading to Asia from London Gatwick this summer.

"These new services to China are fantastic news for both passengers and businesses across London and the South East, providing greater opportunities for tourism and trade," airport manager Stephanie Wear said.

The additional routes will support not only passenger journeys but also regional and national trade opportunities. In 2023, the UK exported £37.5bn of goods and services to China – an 11.9% increase on 2022.