Birmingham to be the alternative gateway to Britain with direct flights from China
Birmingham Airport unveils its new Chinese branding – ‘Birmingham Airport, Shakespeare’s Airport’ – announced by Culture Secretary Sajid Javid at the Great Festival in Shanghai, the British business showcase in China this week that is being led by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, and Trade Minister Lord Livingston. It will be used in China to promote Birmingham as a gateway into the region which is home to many great places of interest to Chinese visitors, such as Stratford upon Avon, the home of Shakespeare.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Maria Miller, also endorsed the news that Birmingham Airport will become the country’s first gateway to offer UK charter package tours from China and the first UK airport outside of London to launch direct charter flights to China.
The joint initiative between Birmingham Airport, China Southern Airlines, Caissa Travel Management Co Ltd and Birmingham China specialist agency, United Travel, demonstrates the enormous demand for more flights between the two countries.
It is now possible to fly direct between Birmingham and Beijing thanks to a £40 million investment by Birmingham Airport to extend the runway, which will open next month. The runway extension will provide airlines with unlimited take off range, allowing jets to fly direct to China, and puts Birmingham in an ideal place to become an alternative gateway to the UK for flights from China and beyond.
The summer programme will involve direct flights operated by China Southern Airlines arriving from Beijing into Birmingham between July 22nd and August 6th [1]. Caissa, one of China’s leading travel specialists, will sell a range of organised package tours to Chinese visitors seeking to explore the world class tourism attractions in the Midlands, the North of England and London. China Southern Airlines will operate a 248 seat A330-200 aircraft on the route.
