British regional airports go on the hunt for direct China flights

Birmingham Airport may be close to resurrecting a direct air route to China, while Edinburgh Airport is also hoping to invigorate Scottish tourism and business links with China through its own long-haul connection - as both British airports go on the active hunt for direct flights to the mainland.

For Birmingham, if negotiations with an as yet unnamed airline succeed, it will be the first link between that city and China since 2015, when a Chinese tour operator ran summer charter flights bringing holiday makers to the English Midlands region.

"Demand for flights to China from Birmingham is significant, driven mainly by the Midlands' strong trading relationship with China and we are in discussions with a carrier to reinstate services in the future following our successful Beijing operations in 2014 and 2015," a spokesperson for Birmingham Airport said.