Passengers across London and the South East can now benefit from services operated by the three largest airlines in China, as China Southern joins Air China and China Eastern at London Gatwick.

The airline – China’s largest – began operating from London Gatwick on Tuesday 12 December, with twice-weekly flights to Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport, on Boeing 787-8 aircraft. It is the only direct service between London and Zhengzhou.

London Gatwick now has 16 flights per week to China, with two daily services to Shanghai already operating.

The flights will provide an economic boost to the tourism industry across London and the South East, with Chinese visitors spending £1,937 per UK visit and £1.71 billion in total in 2019, according to Visit Britain.

Stephanie Wear, VP Aviation Development, London Gatwick said: “We are delighted to welcome China Southern to London Gatwick. China is a hugely important market for us, our passengers, and the regional economy, so it’s fantastic news for London and the South East to have China’s three major airlines operating from Gatwick for the first time.

“The new service to Zhengzhou will enable passengers to not only visit a fantastic city steeped in history and culture, but also visit family and friends, and connect to destinations across China and Asia.”

Patricia Yates, Chief Executive, VisitBritain said: “China is an incredibly important inbound visitor market, our second most valuable in 2019 and we know the UK is high on the wish list of Chinese travellers. The new China Southern route into London Gatwick is fantastic news for holiday-makers and business visitors alike. We want to deliver a world-class welcome for visitors and boosting airline connectivity and seat capacity, making it easier to get to Britain, is crucial to our competitive tourism offer.”

Zhengzhou is the capital of the Henan province with a population of more than 10 million, and home of the world’s largest iPhone factory.

London Gatwick is investing in its long-term future and its planning application to bring the airport’s Northern Runway into regular use has recently been accepted for detailed examination by the Planning Inspectorate. This low-impact plan will improve resilience, reduce delays, and provide a significant boost to the national and regional economy by supporting trade, tourism, and new jobs.

Full details of the updates and the revised plans are available on gatwickairport.com/futureplans.