Two long-haul giants entered a joint business agreement as of December 17, 2019, British Airways announced. The British carrier and China Southern Airlines (ZNH) launched their initial agreement in 2017, sharing flight codes on 10 routes between the United Kingdom and China. In January 2019, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand the aforementioned deal from 2017.
The two flagship carriers will initially codeshare on direct flights between London and cities in China such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Sanya, Shanghai, Wuhan and Zhengzhou. Passengers are able to book tickets on 31 direct weekly flights between the British capital and Chinese cities. The two sides plan to further expand the partnership to offer more flights on domestic routes within China and the United Kingdom.
British Airways’ customers will also enjoy a smoother flight experience, as the London-based carrier has moved its Beijing operations to the new airport in the Chinese capital, Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), where China Southern Airlines (ZNH) is also based since the airport‘s opening in September 2019.
Alex Cruz, the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of British Airways noted that the agreement will “bring the UK and China closer together,” as customers will be able to enjoy a “wide range of benefits.”
“The agreement reinforces our commitment to boost tourism and business travel between the two countries and we look forward to strengthening the relationship further,” said Cruz, possibly hinting that further expansion of the joint business agreement is coming in the near future.