THE first UK flights to two major cities in China are going to launch from Gatwick Airport in June.

 

Chinese carrier Tianjin Airlines is going to fly an Airbus A330 plane on the new routes to two of China's most important economic centres, which will be the company's first long-haul flights outside Asia.

 

The launch will involve direct flights to Chongqing – one of the world's largest urban centres and a major manufacturing and transportation hub in southwest China. The twice weekly, year-round flights will then continue to China's fourth largest city, Tianjin.

 

Both cities are currently not flown to from the UK.

 

Tianjin Airlines flies over 10 million passengers each year and the new Gatwick route will depart from the airport every Wednesday and Saturday evening at 10:25pm.

 

Chongqing has invested heavily in infrastructure and is very well connected to the rest of China with, for example, the nearby Three Gorges Dam - the world's largest - allowing oceangoing ships to reach Chongqing's Yangtze River port. These infrastructure improvements have led to the arrival of numerous foreign direct investors in industries including car manufacture, finance and retailing.

 

Tianjin is located in northeast China and is the major gateway port serving the capital Beijing. It is also home to a Special Economic Zone – where key experimental economic reforms are taking place - and has become a hub of advanced industry and financial activity with around 285 Fortune 500 companies now located there.

 

Guy Stephenson, Gatwick's chief commercial officer, said: "By flying into two of China's most important economic centres, Gatwick is providing vital direct connections for UK business  people into some of the most exciting growth markets on the planet.

 

"Tourists from both the UK and China will also benefit, as will non-exporting businesses  located in the UK as Chinese visitors are some of the highest spenders. The number of tourists from China also grew almost 40% last year alone and these numbers are only going to rise.

 

"The two new Chinese destinations compliment Gatwick's growing long-haul network which now boasts over 50 destinations on four continents."

 

The A330 selected by Tianjin Airlines is designed to carry 260-passengers with 18 business class seats and 242 economy class seats.

 

Robert Chen, Tianjin general manager for the UK, said: "A pricing penetration strategy will be adopted by Tianjin Airlines to win the UK market."

 

Patricia Yates, VisitBritain and VisitEngland Director, said: "China is the world's largest outbound market and a huge tourism opportunity for Britain. We have ambitions to double the spend from Chinese visitors to £1 billion by 2020 and making it easier for them to get here is obviously a really important step in increasing our competitive tourism offer to this rapidly growing market."

 

Latest figures from VisitBritain state that tourist numbers to the UK from China were up 37% in the first nine months of 2015.