Today, Vancouver International Airport / Aéroport international de Vancouver (YVR) welcomed Sichuan Airlines’ inaugural flight from Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO) in China. This twice-weekly flight is the only non-stop service between Zhengzhou and North America, re-enforcing YVR’s position as a world-class connecting hub to the Asia-Pacific region.
“We thank our long-standing partner, Sichuan Airlines, for choosing to open up a new non-stop service to Zhengzhou from YVR,” said Craig Richmond, President and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority. “This is another first for us and we are pleased to be able to offer even more choice for Canadian travellers going to China.”
Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan Province, is located in the east-central area of China. It is one of China’s major transportation hubs, located at the intersection of the country’s ground transportation routes. It’s also renowned as one of the eight historical capitals of China. The famous Shaolin Temple, located at the base of Mount Songshan, is the birthplace of the Chinese martial arts that provided the inspiration for Kung Fu movies. This new service will open up trade and business for a new city and strengthen the strong relationship between British Columbia and China.
Sichuan Airlines launched flights between YVR and Mainland China—the airline’s first long-haul destination—in 2012 with three-times weekly service between YVR and Chengdu via Shenyang. Today’s new service to Chengdu via Zhengzhou replaces the airline’s existing flight to Chengdu via Shenyang on Tuesdays and Fridays. The Sunday flights remain unchanged and will continue to fly through Shenyang. All Sichuan Airlines’ flights arrive at YVR at 8:35 AM and depart at 10:25 AM. Sichuan Airlines flights out of YVR operate on Airbus A330-200 aircraft, featuring 36 business seats and 207 economy seats.
By the end of 2016, YVR will have service from six Mainland Chinese carriers, two more than any other airport in North America and Europe.