Sichuan Airlines launched the first ever air link between Chengdu in Sichuan and Vancouver, allowing passengers from North America to fly directly into Central China.
China’s Sichuan Airlines launched on June 22 three weekly flights from Chengdu to Vancouver, marking the Chinese carrier’s first foray into the North American market.
With the flights offering a stopover in Shenyang, the capital of the northeastern Liaoning province, Zhang Huiyu, Sichuan Airlines vice president international, said the new service would offer great choice to both Chinese and Canadian travellers as the first and only flights from North America to China’s interior.
The flights operate Tuesday, Friday and Sunday via an Airbus 330 aircraft capable of carrying 245 passengers. “Vancouver is the Asia Pacific gateway of Canada. Shenyang is a large international metropolis in northeast China. Chengdu is the transportation hub in western China. Sichuan Airlines now builds a golden air bridge to connect these three amazing cities,” said Zhang.
He added that the carrier, based in Chengdu, the provincial capital of China’s South-Western Sichuan province, is considered daily flights in future based on passenger demand.
“It is not only important to Sichuan Airlines, it’s also important to all the people from the western region of China. Because all the flights originate from Chengdu in the western part of China to Shenyang, which is northeast, it will provide a gateway to the students, immigrants and travellers to Canada.”
The carrier is competing in Vancouver with Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.
However, with Canada being granted Approved Destination Status (ADS) in June 2010 demand for flights to the country is rising. In 2011, its first full year of ADS, 242,000 Chinese travellers visited the country. The Canadian Tourism Commission is forecasting the number of Chinese arrivals to jump 21.3 percent this year, and 25.2 percent in 2013.
James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages declared that “the air industry is a critical part of Canada’s economic health and I think air liberalization in the future and other opportunities are certainly something I know that YVR (the Vancouver airport), the government of Canada, all of us want to see those kind of partnerships taken to their full advantage to the benefit of all travellers.[] It is important for consumers to know that air liberalization means lower prices, more competition and better services, so I think it’s a win-win all around for all markets.”
Source: Xinhua
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