Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

Geoff Conlon, business development manager at London Stansted, has been in Copenhagen at a global speed-dating event to engage the Chinese in early-stage discussions.

He said before flying out for the World Route Development Forum that a number of meetings had been lined up with carriers from Asia and the US.

Conlon said: “We’re very excited about the meetings that have been arranged, on separate days, with two Chinese airlines. While this is just the start of the process, we are showing our intent to launch direct flights to China in the long-term. China has the potential to outstrip even America as an economic force and the East of England is already in the vanguard of trade initiatives involving China.

“If more companies in the region are setting up operations in China and more Chinese businesses are looking at establishing European HQs in the East of England we have to respond to that – as we have to demand for direct flights to the United States.

“Whatever the outcome of these initial talks with the Chinese airlines, we are committed to launching a direct service. It will happen.”

The World Route Development Forum that Stansted has been attending in Copenhagen is the industry’s premier networking event and was being attended by 275 airlines and 500 airports from around the world.

The UK was officially granted approved destination status by the Chinese government in January, which gives it access to the tourist market for the first time. Previously Chinese citizens were only granted visas to the UK for study or business.

Conlon added: “We are currently working with VisitBritain to generate interest in China in the UK as a tourist destination and also economic development officials who are keen to generate business links with China.”

The first package tour from China landed on UK soil recently and it is anticipated that demand will grow quickly.

There are an estimated 25 million Chinese people with enough money to travel abroad, a figure that is predicted to double by 2008.

One Stansted operator, Malev Hungarian Airlines, already offers flights to Shanghai and Beijing but travellers have to catch a connecting flight in Budapest.

The link is proving popular with the East of England business community, with 40 per cent of the airline’s passengers catching transferring flights from Stansted.