A direct air link between Manchester and China is due to be restored today (Monday) for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Hainan Airlines is to resume flights from Beijing after the UK and Chinese governments last week agreed Manchester-China was one of the air corridors that could resume after a two-and-a-half year hiatus.
Due to policy in China, the outbound flight will initially stop in the Chinese city of Dalian where passengers must undergo quarantine for seven days, but the inbound connection will be direct from Beijing. The service will operate on Tuesdays from October.
Hainan has moved quickly to start operating the two-class service again using an Airbus A330 in time for the busy student travel season. More than 40 universities across the airport’s catchment area that welcome thousands of Chinese students each year.