London-Chongqing air route celebrates rising popularity

Fang Yesong, director of the Marketing & Sales Committee at Tianjin Airlines, reported that, since resuming the Chongqing-London passenger service on May 3, 2023, the route has cumulatively served over 120,000 passengers. Using Chongqing as a pivot, the airline has built a transfer network connecting more than 60 cities across China to London, with connecting transit passengers accounting for nearly 50 percent of the total.

She noted that Tianjin Airlines plans to further refine interline products and transit services. By leveraging the rich cultural and tourism resources of Chongqing and western China, the airline aims to launch more distinctive "Aviation + Cultural Tourism" products. Additionally, capitalizing on London's strengths as a global financial, business, and convention hub, Tianjin Airlines seeks to expand its business travel customer base, making the Chongqing-London route a vibrant channel for Sino-UK interactions.

Dominique Ross, senior manager of Heathrow Airport Holdings, attended the event and delivered an address. She highlighted that Heathrow is the UK's only hub airport with the world's best-connected network, serving over 230 destinations across 85 countries, and plays a vital role in Britain's global trade and international competitiveness.

Ross noted that since Tianjin Airlines launched the direct passenger route between Heathrow and Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, nearly 120,000 passengers have traveled between the two airports, fully demonstrating the value and significance of this air link. She expressed hope for maintaining long-term, sound partnerships with Chongqing Airport and Tianjin Airlines to jointly enable the route to contribute further to exchanges between China and the UK.

As one of the four municipalities directly under the central government of China, and the only one in southwest China, Chongqing is strategically positioned at the intersection of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. It serves as the logistics and operation center of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the assembly hub for China-Europe Railway Express services. The municipality is accelerating the development of an inland comprehensive opening-up hub, striving to take the lead in driving opening-up across western China.