New long-haul route from Heathrow to Zhengzhou takes off

British passengers will be able to fly directly to one of China’s eight Ancient Capital cities now, as Heathrow launches Europe’s first direct route to Zhengzhou.

The new route flies directly into a Chinese manufacturing hub, with 70 per cent of Apple iPhones sold worldwide manufactured in the city.

The new route means that Heathrow now offers 13 direct connections to Chinese destinations. The number of destinations available via the UK’s only hub airport has allowed exports to China to grow by 135 per cent in value from  2018 compared to 2017, totalling over £7 billion. Over 1.3 million passengers travelled from mainland China to Heathrow in 2018 – an increase of 14 per cent over previous years.

The flight will be operated by China Southern Airlines twice weekly out of Terminal 4 and use a 787-800 aircraft. It will allow for an annual 55,328 seats and 2,080 tonnes of cargo space.

Ross Baker, Heathrow’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “The launch of our new route to Zhengzhou is an exciting opportunity for passengers and will provide Europe’s only direct connection to this unique Chinese destination. At Heathrow, we are committed to opening-up more routes to China as part of our strategy to drive forward the UK’s global connectivity for years to come.”