The announced arrivals of Hainan Airlines on the Paris-Chongqing and Paris-Shenzhen routes and Xiamen Airlines on the Paris-Fuzhou route confirm the special role played by the French capital for traffic to China. There are many reasons why Chinese airlines are interested in Paris. The first of these - which has little to do with the French business market - is certainly the constant increase in the number of Chinese visitors, with more than a million visitors to France every year, including more than a million tourists. 800,000 tourists for Greater Paris.
There are also deep historical links between the two countries. France was the first Western country to recognise the People's Republic of China, back in 1964. That year, in fact, Air France was the first Western airline to be able to land at Beijing. Since then, the number of air routes between Paris and China has grown steadily.
But beyond the sentimental side, there's also the this real stream of business traffic which, today more than ever, is stimulating trade between France and China. The rapid economic development of China's secondary metropolises is stimulating business and traffic flows. In fact, traffic between France and China has soared over the last five years.
According to figures provided by Sonia Gacic-Blossier, Head of Press Relations for Paris Airport, China has over the years become one of the world's leading airports. the largest country in Asia largest contributor to the volume of traffic at Paris hubs, overtaking Japan. Since 2015, Paris CDG has even been certified as a "Welcome Chinese" airport by the China Tourism Academy - the equivalent of the Ministry of Tourism - for its level of welcome for Chinese passengers.
The Paris-China bundle, including Hong Kongrepresented 2.5 million passengers in 2017, to which must be added traffic growth of 4.5 % from January to October 2018. With the openings announced by Hainan Airlines to Chongqing and Shenzhen and by Xiamen Airlines to Fuzhou, Paris is now linked to 12 Chinese cities, including Hong Kong, thanks to eight airlines. On the French side, Air France and Aigle Azur have been flying to China since the summer. flights to Beijing from Orly. A route served in partnership with Hainan Airlines.
New routes to Fuzhou, Chongqing and Shenzhen
In addition to Air France, Air France also has Air China, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan Airlines and the latest addition, Xiamen Airlinesa member of SkyTeam, has been offering three weekly flights since 11 December to Fuzhou, its second international hub alongside Xiamen. "Our aim is not only to promote Fuzhou and Fujian province on the French market, but also to Positioning Fuzhou as a hub to Asia. Fuzhou is our second most important hub, with connections to some forty cities in China and 17 international destinations, including Korea, Japan and South-East Asia."says Hu Nan, Vice President Alliances and Partnerships at Xiamen Airlines.
"We are also working with the airport authorities to position Fuzhou as an easy hub for international passengers, with English-speaking staff and the possibility of a 72-hour visa-free stopover for transfer passengers."says Ni Liangsheng, Vice President of Xiamen Airlines in charge of the Fuzhou hub. In addition to the three weekly frequencies operated by Boeing 787-8, there will be a fourth frequency next spring from Paris. "We are also looking into the possibility of a service to London."says Ni Liangsheng.
For Hainan Airlines, the opening of routes on Chongqing and Shenzhen correspond primarily to a major demand from the Chinese middle class for a link to Paris from these two cities. "But they also offer to French companies the possibility of finding opportunities in these two cities, which are now among the most dynamic and youngest in the country. Shenzhen, for example, is one of the world's major high-tech centres"says Yang Hulong, Vice President International at Hainan Airlines.
On these two new routes, the Chinese airline is introducing a Boeing B787 in two-class configuration with its new business product, while its route to XIan continues to be operated with the two-class Airbus A330. With two flights - on Mondays and Fridays - between Paris and Shenzhen and two weekly frequencies - on Wednesdays and Saturdays - to Chongqing, Hainan Airlines now offers a daily flight to Paris, as the carrier has been offering three weekly flights to Xian since 2014.
"We believe that Shenzhen airport has also the potential to serve as a hub to the whole of Asia, as well as to China. The airport already has strong international traffic and is well equipped to handle the transit of non-Chinese passengers. We will be adding a third weekly flight to Paris at the end of March."says Yang Hulong. As for cooperation with Aigle Azur - the two carriers share the same shareholder, the Chinese conglomerate HNA - this could be extended to Hainan Airlines' new Paris CDG routes.
"We are currently working on this and hope to achieve rapid progress."explains Yang Yulong. The Orly-Peking flight ofAigle Azur could it then be transferred to Roissy to make better use of synergies ? "We're very happy to be linked to Orly, which is also a very convenient airport, through Aigle Azur. We are also working with them to promote this new route, and the initial results are encouraging."he concludes.
