British Airways have just announced that they will launch a new 3 x weekly 772ER service from LHR to Chengdu in China
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/1.../uk-ba-china-idUKBRE8BI0C820121219
http://www.travelmole.com/news_featu...?news_id=2004438&c=setreg®ion=2
Flights will commence on 22nd September 2013.
[Edited 2012-12-19 01:22:30]
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
These bmi slots are a tremendous goldmine for BA. LHR is back on the track !
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
According to business traveller magazine the flight schedule is :
BA089 LHR 15:30 CTU 08:55 777 247
BA088 CTU 10:55 LHR 15:00 777 135
Flights will operate on a four class 777
http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/ba-confirms-chengdu-route
BA089 LHR 15:30 CTU 08:55 777 247
BA088 CTU 10:55 LHR 15:00 777 135
Flights will operate on a four class 777
http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/ba-confirms-chengdu-route
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
Strange that they are not starting up a route like this with a smaller aircraft, B787 or 767.
Presumably there will be another route announced for the aircraft on the other 4 days a week?
Presumably there will be another route announced for the aircraft on the other 4 days a week?
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting fcogafa (Reply 3): Strange that they are not starting up a route like this with a smaller aircraft, B787 or 767. |
The 77E has quite a premium heavy configuration, while both the 788 and 736ER (which wouldn't have the necessary range anyway) have much smaller J cabins and no F. I'm sure that these are the sorts of routes that BA will be sending 4 class 789s on in a few years time.
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting fcogafa (Reply 3): Strange that they are not starting up a route like this with a smaller aircraft, B787 or 767. Presumably there will be another route announced for the aircraft on the other 4 days a week? |
| Quoting fcogafa (Reply 3): Strange that they are not starting up a route like this with a smaller aircraft, B787 or 767. Presumably there will be another route announced for the aircraft on the other 4 days a week? |
There is a demand for cargo footage neither the traditional 767 or plastic upgrade come close in the number of LD3 containers of the 772ER !
Destination is a good choice for high value boxes and high yield SLF plus some tourists (Wanting to see the clay army !)
May also have to do with the growing financial sector in this city combined with the aerospace industries, more so than the alternative and much larger and industrial regional city of Chongqing served by others (Mainly all cargo carriers)
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- seansasLCY
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting rutankrd (Reply 5): Destination is a good choice for high value boxes and high yield SLF plus some tourists (Wanting to see the clay army !) |
Slightly out there. The Clay Army are in Xian
Chengdu is a popular tourist sight though and growing business city. I hope this is the start of wider BA expansion into China. Maybe they can beat the others and become the first to link Kunming or Xian to Europe?
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting rutankrd (Reply 5): There is a demand for cargo footage neither the traditional 767 or plastic upgrade come close in the number of LD3 containers of the 772ER ! |
That's true. There is a rumor said, even the KLM's CTU-AMS route has no passenger, they can still earn some money. Chengdu is a massive manufacturing base for smartphone and laptop. If you order an iPad online, there is a big opportunity that it will be shipped from CTU.
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting qf002 (Reply 4): The 77E has quite a premium heavy configuration, while both the 788 and 736ER (which wouldn't have the necessary range anyway) have much smaller J cabins and no F. I'm sure that these are the sorts of routes that BA will be sending 4 class 789s on in a few years time. |
The 767 most defnitely does have the range. Chengdu is in western China and SAS used to fly their 763s from Copenhagen to Hong Kong, Beijing, Bangkok... It's more a premium capacity thing.
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
Bit of a surprise that one. I would also agree that the 777 could be a bit overkill for the route, but we will see.
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- Bongodog1964
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting rutankrd (Reply 5): plus some tourists (Wanting to see the clay army !) |
The clay army is in X'ian (XIY), around one hour flight from CTU.
At CTU, the main touristical attraction (apart of being a really exceptionally beautiful city), is the Panda Research center.
CTU is also a high-tech industrial center, I understand.
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
Is CTU the airport in mainland China with more EMEA carriers out of the big 3 (CAN/PEK/PVG)?
EY and KL are already flying to CTU, and BA and QR already announced flights.
EY and KL are already flying to CTU, and BA and QR already announced flights.
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 10): Their 787's won't be available in time, and the 767 fleet is fairly stretched anyway. 772's are the one thing they do have available as they take delivery of a few more 773's |
I agree
China is a country BA are focussed increasing there presence in. I think what has happend is BA have been offered the chance to take up slots at CTU rather than turn them down they have taken them and decided to use what aircraft they have available hence the route will initially operate on the 772ER configured 12F/48J/32W/127Y.
What will probably happen is BA will switch the 772ER with a 788 in mid 2013 and at the same time they will increase the frequency,
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting rutankrd (Reply 5): plus some tourists (Wanting to see the clay army !) |
I've been to Chengdu and apart from the Panda Research Centre there is not a lot for tourists. I would imagine that tourists wil primarily continue to connect through Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Maybe a lot of tourists coming to London from CTU? Even with not many tourists, I would imagine that cargo and business demand will be strong.
"In Summer 2013, British Airways will also be increasing frequencies on services from London Heathrow to Amman, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jeddah, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Toronto."
Interesting to know. MEX has received a large increase in service recently, with AM announcing service to LHR and BA planning to increase frequencies to MEX.
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- B747forever
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting Alsatian (Reply 1): These bmi slots are a tremendous goldmine for BA. LHR is back on the track ! |
I am glad to see that BA finally can expand. They also very recently started to fly into ICN.
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
And the rest of us are still waiting for BA to return to KUL... Sigh.. But positive news no doubt..
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
"As the largest country market, the UK accounts for 23.4 per cent of the estimated 116,644 passengers that flew between Europe and Chengdu last year with notable flows from London Heathrow (approximately 14,000 passengers), Manchester (around 5,000 passengers) and Birmingham (about 3,000 travellers)."
Source: http://www.routesonline.com/news/36/...ays-brings-chengdu-link-to-london/
That source has a good and comprehensive article on this route.
Source: http://www.routesonline.com/news/36/...ays-brings-chengdu-link-to-london/
That source has a good and comprehensive article on this route.
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
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- Viscount724
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting SCQ83 (Reply 12): Is CTU the airport in mainland China with more EMEA carriers out of the big 3 (CAN/PEK/PVG)? EY and KL are already flying to CTU, and BA and QR already announced flights. |
Just wondering is there any possibility that Oneworld acquires Sichuan Airline as their chinese partner as both BA and QR will fly to their base CTU? As Hainan Airlines seems to meet a lot of obstacles in joining Oneworld, Sichuan Airline, with a fleet size of 67 planes, may be an option.
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting [email protected] (Reply 17): "As the largest country market, the UK accounts for 23.4 per cent of the estimated 116,644 passengers that flew between Europe and Chengdu last year with notable flows from London Heathrow (approximately 14,000 passengers), Manchester (around 5,000 passengers) and Birmingham (about 3,000 travellers)." Source: http://www.routesonline.com/news/36/...ays-brings-chengdu-link-to-london/ That source has a good and comprehensive article on this route. |
Those are really interesting stats, it's hard to see why the UK has more passengers going to Chengdu than other European countries, I can only presume that there must be certain key multinationals who fly there from the UK on a regular basis, and I'm BA will expect their business!
it's the bus to stansted (now renamed National Express a6 to ruin my username)
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- DolphinAir747
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
Wow, congrats to the folks in central China, with KL, then AY, then QR, and now BA serving them!
Still, I fear that CTU-Europe will soon see lower yields if so many carriers fly westward from there! I'm surprised that BA didn't instead target TSN, which has no passenger flights to Europe so far.
Still, I fear that CTU-Europe will soon see lower yields if so many carriers fly westward from there! I'm surprised that BA didn't instead target TSN, which has no passenger flights to Europe so far.
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting DolphinAir747 (Reply 21): I'm surprised that BA didn't instead target TSN, which has no passenger flights to Europe so far. |
Tianjin is hurt by its relative proximity to Beijing and the much larger PEK. While there would be some market for flights to Tianjin, the airlines know they can capture much of that market at PEK without the cost of an additional longhaul flight.
Once Beijing Daxing International Airport is constructed and opened, it will essentially serve both Beijing and Tianjin due to its more central location. That probably puts a damper on the long-term potential of intercontinental flights to TSN.
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- Viscount724
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting AirbusA6 (Reply 20): it's hard to see why the UK has more passengers going to Chengdu than other European countries, I can only presume that there must be certain key multinationals who fly there from the UK on a regular basis, |
Chinese students in the UK must be a significant source of traffic. As of 2010 there were 1.27 million Chinese studying abroad, and the UK was the 4th most popular country (and #1 in Europe). The top 10 destinations for Chinese students in 2010:
USA
Australia
Japan
UK
South Korea
Canada
Singapore
France
Germany
Russia
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting steex (Reply 22): Tianjin is hurt by its relative proximity to Beijing and the much larger PEK. |
True, but travelling international into TSN (I did several times to/from HKG) is a thrill, customs/immigration is speedy due to low quantity of in/outgoing international flights.
While PEK has improved international pax handling considerably, TSN (inspite of serving a city of +10mill inhabitants) is like a provincial airport.
So those seeking to enter China with speed and low customs/immigration lines, should seriously consider TSN.
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- gabrielchew
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RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting steex (Reply 22): Tianjin is hurt by its relative proximity to Beijing and the much larger PEK. While there would be some market for flights to Tianjin, the airlines know they can capture much of that market at PEK without the cost of an additional longhaul flight. |
Tianjin is only 30 minutes away from Beijing on the bullet train....no point in flying to Tianjin. Air Asia X started flights to TSN, but not long after moved operations over to PEK.
| Quoting KaiTak747 (Reply 14): I've been to Chengdu and apart from the Panda Research Centre there is not a lot for tourists. I would imagine that tourists wil primarily continue to connect through Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Maybe a lot of tourists coming to London from CTU? Even with not many tourists, I would imagine that cargo and business demand will be strong. |
Are you kidding? There is a lot to do in Sichuan, not to mention all the neighbouring provinces without longhual air routes. 99% of Tibet bound tourists pass through Chengdu.
http://my.flightmemory.com/shefgab Upcoming flights: AMS-RIX-BUD-VDA,ETH-TLV-FCO-LHR,STN-TXL-LCY,LTN-CPH-LTN,LGW-SZG,MUC-LHR
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting justinlee (Reply 19): Just wondering is there any possibility that Oneworld acquires Sichuan Airline as their chinese partner as both BA and QR will fly to their base CTU? As Hainan Airlines seems to meet a lot of obstacles in joining Oneworld, Sichuan Airline, with a fleet size of 67 planes, may be an option. |
Sichuan Airlines is 39% owned by CZ and 10% owned by Shanghai Airlines, thus 49%of the shareholding is owned by Skyteam Airlines.... I doubt Oneworld will be the most likely alliance for 3U.
RE: BA To Add Flights To Chengdu
| Quoting 123 (Reply 11): he clay army is in X'ian (XIY), around one hour flight from CTU. At CTU, the main touristical attraction (apart of being a really exceptionally beautiful city), is the Panda Research center. CTU is also a high-tech industrial center, I understand. |
Funny you mention Xi'an ...
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