London Gatwick Airport announced on 14 July the launch of Air China’s new thrice-weekly service to Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, strengthening the UK’s connectivity with western China. Flights commenced on 12 July and will operate through the 2026 summer season from Gatwick’s North Terminal, complementing the carrier’s existing Gatwick links to Beijing and Shanghai. The route answers growing post-pandemic demand for point-to-point traffic between Europe and inland Chinese tech hubs. Chengdu is headquarters to more than 350 Fortune Global 500 branches and a major semiconductor and aerospace cluster. For British firms with Sichuan-based supply chains, direct belly-hold capacity shortens freight lead-times by up to 48 hours compared with trans-Shanghai routings. Gatwick expects to offer 61 weekly departures to six Chinese destinations at peak summer 2026, served by Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and Beijing Capital Airlines. Airport executives say the expanded network supports the UK government’s ambition to grow services to non-capital Chinese cities under the bilateral air-services agreement revised last year. Travel-management companies should note that Air China is marketing introductory business-class fares under its trans-Eurasian corporate contract scheme, allowing date changes without penalty—useful for project teams navigating China’s dynamic entry-testing regime during extreme-weather events. Passengers will clear Chinese entry formalities in Chengdu, where e-gate facilities now accept foreign biometric passports and 30-day visa-free entrants from the UK. Mobility planners should still advise travellers to print hotel confirmations, which Sichuan border officers occasionally request.
