Air China will start flying the UK’s only non-stop service between London Gatwick and Chengdu - the prosperous capital of Sichuan province - next week (3 July).
Three flights a week will connect the UK with China’s fourth biggest city which – located in the geographic centre of the country – is developing the country’s largest western transport and logistics hub. This development is boosted by the nation’s “Belt and Road” initiative to stimulate trade and economic growth across Asia and beyond into Europe for generations.*
The new service has the capacity of over 45000 seats and over 1500 metric tonnes of cargo per year. Business passengers can take advantage of opportunities in a city hosting over 270 Fortune 500 companies - and one known as a hub for scientific and technological innovation – and a current focus on attracting foreign start-up companies to take up residency.
Culturally, one of the city’s biggest attractions is the world famous Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding where visitors can view endangered giant pandas in a natural habitat. Sichuan Province is home to around 80% of China’s population of wild pandas. Other famous attractions include:
- Spicy food – previously a Unesco city of Gastronomy (2011) – the city is famous for its spicy hotpot and the mouth numbing Sichuan peppercorn
- Changing Faces Chinese Opera where performers switch from mask to mask
- Teahouse culture and ceremonies
- A lively nightlife frequented by locals, students and expat populations
- Archaeological treasures at Jinsha and the Leshan Giant Buddha
Air China - the country’s flag carrying airline – will fly an Airbus A330-300 on the service which will depart from Gatwick on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Three cabins are available - Business, Premium Economy and Economy class – with highly competitive fares, especially for the first week of travel currently on offer.
The flights depart Gatwick at 22:00 and arrive at Chengdu at 15:40 the next day where passengers have 50 onward domestic connections available, in addition to international connections to Bangkok, Colombo, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, Osaka, Singapore, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo.
Passengers making one of these international connections can also stop over and enjoy the local attractions for 72 hours visa free. Those travelling in the other direction can benefit from Gatwick’s quick links into central London – including brand new fleets of trains leaving every three to four minutes to Victoria, London Bridge and beyond.
The flights depart Gatwick at 22:00 and arrive at Chengdu at 15:40 the next day where passengers have 50 onward domestic connections available, in addition to international connections to Bangkok, Colombo, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, Osaka, Singapore, Sydney, Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo.
Passengers making one of these international connections can also stop over and enjoy the local attractions for 72 hours visa free. Those travelling in the other direction can benefit from Gatwick’s quick links into central London – including brand new fleets of trains leaving every three to four minutes to Victoria, London Bridge and beyond.
