British Airways is to increase flights to Beijing and Hong Kong in the coming months and is planning to fly to Shanghai, the company has announced.
Europe’s biggest airline said it was tapping into China’s fast-growing travel market.
The airline will boost its number of London-Beijing flights from three per week to four in April and to five in June, chairman Lord Colin Marshall told a business luncheon in Hong Kong.
It will also increase its London-Hong Kong frequencies from 14 to 17 a week in June.
“We are weighing up new opportunities for expansion in China following the conclusion of a progressive new air services agreement with the UK,” Lord Marshall said.
The airline’s greater China manager, Fernando Suarez, said BA hoped to fly to Shanghai by the end of the year.
Flights to the financial centre would pit the airline against UK rival Virgin Atlantic, which currently flies there four times a week and plans more services.
Outbound travel from China is expected to boom in the coming years as increasingly wealthy people venture abroad on holiday.
In the medium term, the airline would also consider flying to Guangzhou in China’s southern manufacturing heartland, or Chengdu or Chongqing in western China, Mr Suarez added.
By: Airline owner - 26th March 2004 at 23:15
Originally posted by Mark L
BA Asia ceased to exist a few years ago.
Oh fair enough then
By: Mark L - 26th March 2004 at 23:01
BA Asia ceased to exist a few years ago.
I doubt Shangai will appear as there are pretty complex licencing restrictions in China, and indeed over here with the UK CAA over who can and cannot fly there, and currently Virgin is the favoured airline.
By: Airline owner - 26th March 2004 at 22:55
Are those expansions with its British Airways Asia service
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March 26, 2004 at 10:53 pm