THE world just got smaller today as the North West got its first ever direct non-stop link to China.
Cathay Pacific launched its four-times-a-week, non-stop flight to Hong Kong with a journey time of 12 hours.
The award-winning carrier operates flights from Hong Kong to 22 of mainland China's most important cities, making it easy to book straight through journeys, via the one time British colony.
At today's launch, Charlie Cornish, Manchester Airport's Group CEO spoke of even more links to the Far East.
You wait for one long haul jet to come along, and what happens, they come in threes.
Heathrow
Cornish said the first ever non-stop direct link between Manchester and Beijing is to be announced within two to three months, with the liklihood of non-stop flights to Shanghai waiting in the wings.
It will mean an end to those long journeys to Heathrow for decent non-stop flights, and will mean a boost for tourism and business in the North West.
Cornish told Confidential about the proposed five-times a week flight to the Chinese capital, saying talks are at an advanced stage. Although he declined to name the operator of the new service he said formal confirmation will be made "within two to three months" with the new service operational in 2015.
He said a direct flight to Shanghai from Manchester is likely to follow the Beijing link.
Cornish said it had been a long-time ambition of the airport to introduce the first direct flights to China outside of London.
"The introduction of the new link to Hong Kong is a really exciting day for Manchester, and something we have been awaiting for a long period. Hong Kong is a great gateway to mainland China."
Cornish said with 300,000 people a year travelling from North West England to China he was confident the service will grow. That figure does not include the 130,000 a year flying to Hong Kong from Manchester's catchment area/
With thousands making the journeys every year from Manchester’s catchment journey to Beijing and Shanghai, it pointed to a growing need for direct air links to those cities, boosted by growing trade links with Northern England.
Cornish chairs the North West Greater Manchester China Forum, a body tasked with encouraging more trade links between the region and China.
"Airport City is key to the development of those trade links. In the next 20 years China is going to be the most significant economic player in the world, so our close relationship with China is important.
"A number of Chinese businesses have already been attracted and more will follow, helped by good connectivity between our region and China," said Cornish.
The new four-times-a-week 12-hour flight to Hong Kong is operated by Cathay Pacific. Their European general manager Angus Barclay said early indications are the new link to Hong Kong will be a success, allowing thousands of travellers in Northern England to avoid the long journey to London for non-stop direct flights. Further flights will be added if demand justifies it, said Barclay.
What's more the new flight from Manchester to Hong Kong offers the shortest journey time to Sydney, under 22 hours. It beats Emirates journey time (currently the fastest from Manchester) by 20 minutes.
Watching today’s first flight to Hong Kong was Lau Yew Cheong, Lead Director in the UK for State-owned Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG).
The group has established its first UK base at Manchester Airport, close to the £800m economic and commercial enterprise zone known as Airport City. BCEG is the biggest investor in Airport City in a partnership with Manchester Airport Group (MAG), owners of the airport.
As well as providing investment over a 15-year period, BCEG’s construction arm will also be involved in building projects within Airport City.
Lau said the new direct air links will help further links and co-operation between China and Manchester.
"Airport City is our first investment in the UK and we have a very good partnership with MAG, helping and guiding us.
"We are very excited by the new link to Hong Kong as our UK office in Manchester is supported by the BCEG office in Hong Kong."
Cathay Pacific say early next year it plans to introduce a new non-stop direct link between Zurich and Hong Kong.
