Article from BTNews 1 MAY 2017
Summer launch for Qingdao
Another major Chinese destination goes online with the UK this summer in Beijing Capital Airlines launching direct service between Heathrow and Qingdao, the home of Tsingtao beer and one of its country’s fastest growing cities.
The new route will connect passengers and cargo directly for the first time, with three services a week. It follows talks between the UK and Chinese governments aimed at increasing the number of flights between the two countries.
The new agreement also lifted previous restrictions limiting airlines to serving six destinations in each country, opening up the potential for more trade with a host of Chinese powerhouse cities.
Heathrow officials say the new route to Qingdao will provide nearly 70,000 extra seats a year for passengers to and from China and provide nearly 4,000 tonnes of new cargo space for British exports to the Shandong province.
The announcement follows seven years of engagement between Heathrow and Beijing Capital parent company Hainan Airlines Group during which the Chinese ambassador wrote to then prime minister David Cameron in 2014 calling for Heathrow expansion.
The new service means Heathrow will have direct connections to four cities in mainland China – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Qingdao.
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