Airport targets China flights
19.05.08
Manchester Airport officials are flying to China in a bid to secure direct routes to Shanghai and Beijing, Crain's reports. The airport's managing director, Andrew Cornish, is due to meet Air China officials to discuss direct flight links this week, prior to speaking at the China Regional Airport Conference 2008, which starts tomorrow in Chengdu.
Last September the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced it had ‘approved’ 27 new routes to Europe, one of which was a daily route to Manchester. CAAC said services would start on the route in 2009, but industry sources predicted that it is 'far from a done deal,' the newspaper reports, as no dates have yet been set and no further announcements have been made about when the service might start.
Securing the routes to China would be a major coup for the airport, whose passenger numbers have stagnated to around 22 million in the last few years whilst other UK airports have boomed. It even lost its place as the UK's third biggest airport last year to Stansted.
A spokesperson for Manchester Airport said that it was continuing the dialogue with state-owned Air China, the country's biggest carrier, to secure the flights. He said there was clear demand for the routes both inbound and outbound as the two countries increased their business ties, adding: ‘It is not the first time we have met Air China. We are very keen to see services to China. That is why we are investing the time.'
‘Whether we come back with signature and a piece of paper I do not know. We are going to continue discussions and continue the relationship with them. They have said they want Air China to operate out of Manchester and our response is that we would welcome them with open arms.'
‘China, India and Far East have enormous potential for routes to work out of Manchester Airport. We have a massive Chinese population in Manchester, the biggest outside London. There is an awful lot of interest for leisure and business perspective.’
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