A new daily non-stop service between Gatwick and Hong Kong is to start in March 2012, as the airport seeks to become the new Asian gateway for London.
Hong Kong Airlines has chosen Gatwick as the UK destination for its Club Class service. The airline will operate the Airbus A330-200 in a Club Class seating configuration (Club Premier and Club Classic) out of Gatwick’s newly renovated North Terminal.
The service will start on 8 March 2012, and will give business passengers in London and the South-east an easy link to Asia’s second-largest market.
Heathrow has traditionally been the airport of choice for business travel, but with Gatwick’s fast rail links to both London and the South coast, many airlines are favouring London’s second airport.
“We are very excited to welcome Hong Kong Airlines to Gatwick,” said Guy Stephenson, Chief Commercial Officer at Gatwick.
“This is a unique service which provides a real choice to business and premium leisure traffic to one of the world’s great cities, with excellent connections to other points in Asia.”
The airport is investing £1.2 billion to provide new, modern facilities that it claims will significantly enhance the passenger journey to, through, and from the airport.
Improved services will include faster check-in and security processes for departing passengers, as well as more retail and restaurant offers in the departure lounge.
Arriving passengers will experience faster taxi-ing to gates, less queuing time at border zones, and shorter waits at baggage claim.
“We have already introduced premium security lanes in both terminals to combine speed with high levels of service,” added Mr Stephenson.
Other Asian links have also been established with the airport, with AirAsia switching its London base from Stansted to Gatwick and Vietnam Airlines choosing Gatwick as the base for their first ever direct flights from the UK.
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