Article from BTNews 1 JULY 2019
Zhengzhou joins China network
Europe’s first direct route to one of China’s eight ancient capital cities took off from Heathrow last week as China Southern Airlines launched a twice-weekly service to Zhengzhou.
The flight takes passengers into the heart of ancient Chinese culture, but the city (below) is also a key business destination, an important Chinese manufacturing hub and textile centre. Some 70% of all Apple iPhones sold worldwide are manufactured there.
When business is done, visitors can explore attractions such as the Shaolin Monastery and Pagoda Forest, plus the Unesco World Heritage Site considered to be the birthplace of the ancient martial art of kung-fu.
The new route means Heathrow now offers an unrivalled 13 direct connections to Chinese destinations. Flights are operating out of Terminal 4 and using a Boeing B787-800 Dreamliner with an annual 55,328 seats and 2,080 tonnes of cargo space.
Heathrow chief commercial officer Ross Baker said: “The launch of our new route to Zhengzhou is an exciting opportunity for passengers as well as providing Europe’s only direct connection to this unique Chinese destination.
“It also ties in with our commitment at Heathrow to open up more routes to China as part of our strategy to drive forward the UK’s global connectivity for years to come.”
OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)
All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum