Current Regular Commercial Flights

Direct flights between the UK and China are primarily operated by Chinese carriers due to their ability to use Russian airspace, which shortens flight times and reduces costs compared to European airlines. Key airlines include:

• Air China: Operates daily direct flights from London Heathrow (LHR) to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). Flight time averages 10 hours 59 minutes.
• China Southern: Runs daily direct flights from LHR to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) with an average duration of 14 hours 25 minutes, and four weekly flights to Beijing.
• China Eastern: Offers daily direct flights from LHR to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), with an average flight time of 11 hours 23 minutes.
• British Airways: Continues daily LHR–PVG flights but suspended its Beijing route in October 2024 due to longer flight times (avoiding Russian airspace adds up to 2.5 hours) and low demand.
• Hainan Airlines: Provides occasional direct flights from London to smaller hubs like Chongqing or Xi’an, though schedules vary.

Indirect flights are available through hubs like Dubai (Emirates), Doha (Qatar Airways), or Helsinki (Finnair), often at lower costs but with longer total travel times (15–20 hours). Popular routes include Manchester (MAN) to Shanghai via Abu Dhabi with Etihad or LHR to Beijing via Paris with Air France.

Flight Frequency

• Daily: Air China (LHR–PEK), China Southern (LHR–CAN), China Eastern (LHR–PVG), and British Airways (LHR–PVG).
• 4–5 times weekly: China Southern (LHR–Beijing), Hainan Airlines (LHR–Chongqing/Xi’an).
• Indirect flights: Multiple daily options via Middle Eastern or European hubs, with Emirates and Qatar Airways offering the most frequent connections.

Sunday has the highest number of direct flights from London (averaging six), while Monday sees the fewest (around four).

Costs and Deals

Flight prices fluctuate based on season, booking time and demand.

• Cheapest months: October and November, with return economy flights starting at £324 (e.g., LHR–PEK with China Southern). Booking two months in advance on Tuesdays or Wednesdays often yields the lowest fares.
• Most expensive months: April and January (around Chinese New Year), with return flights exceeding £458.
• Average costs: Economy return tickets range from £324 (Beijing) to £460 (Shanghai or Guangzhou). Indirect flights can start at £237 (Saudi via Jeddah), though direct flights with Chinese carriers are often better value for time saved.

Deals:

• Skyscanner and KAYAK offer real-time comparisons, with deals like £254 return from LHR to Beijing on Air China.
• StudentUniverse provides student discounts, with return fares to Shanghai or Beijing from £300.
• Booking.com and Expedia.co.uk highlight flexible tickets with no change fees, ideal for uncertain travel plans.

Reliability and Delays

Chinese carriers (Air China, China Southern, China Eastern) are generally reliable due to shorter routes over Russia, reducing weather-related disruptions and fuel costs. Data from OAG indicates these airlines have fewer delays compared to European carriers like Lufthansa or Air France, which face longer routes and higher operational costs. Air China’s LHR–PEK route is among the least delayed, with an on-time performance of around 80%. Indirect flights via busy hubs like Dubai or Doha are more prone to delays, especially during peak seasons.

Best Value and Chinese Cities Served

For best value, direct flights with Chinese carriers to major hubs offer the optimal balance of cost, time, and reliability:

• Beijing (PEK): Air China’s daily LHR–PEK flights (£324–£400 return) are ideal for access to the capital.
• Shanghai (PVG): China Eastern and British Airways’ daily flights (£400–£460 return) serve China’s economic powerhouse.
• Guangzhou (CAN): China Southern’s daily LHR–CAN route (£350–£450 return) connects to southern China’s trade hub.

For secondary cities, indirect flights or domestic connections from Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou are cost-effective.

Tips for Travellers

• Book early: Secure flights 2–3 months ahead for the best deals.
• Check visas: UK passport holders need a visa, obtainable via Chinese visa application centres.
• Avoid peak seasons: Steer clear of Chinese New Year (January–February) and summer (June–August) for lower costs and fewer crowds.
• Consider indirect routes: For budget travellers, transiting via Seoul or Hong Kong can save up to 30% compared to direct flights.

Despite post-Covid and Ukraine-related challenges, direct flights with Air China, China Southern, and China Eastern from London to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou offer the best value and reliability in 2025. With return fares starting at £324 and daily frequencies, these routes cater to diverse travel needs. For the budget-conscious, indirect flights via Middle Eastern hubs provide cheaper alternatives, though at the cost of longer travel times. Always compare deals on platforms like Skyscanner and book early to maximise savings.

The post The Best Flight Options from the UK to China in 2025 appeared first on Focus - China Britain Business Council.

Summer 2022 saw a reduction of China’s quarantine duration from 21 to 10 days (seven days in a quarantine hotel and three days in your place of residence, if permissible), as well as the simplification of the pre-departure testing procedure.

China has also relaxed its visa rules by removing the requirement for British nationals to acquire PU letters in order to apply for a Z (work), M (business), or F (non-commerce visit – e.g., lecture, research, cultural exchange) visa, in addition to reopening applications for X1 student visas (for long-term students who intend to study in China for more than 180 days).

With all of this in mind, the question then becomes: how can you fly to China from the UK?

Direct Flights

After being suspended in late 2020, direct flights between China and the UK resumed in mid-August, with Air China flying to London Heathrow from Beijing and Shanghai once per week.

Hainan Airlines resumed direct flights from Beijing to Manchester in late August 2022, with a once-weekly service arriving and departing on Monday. Note that due to policy in China, the outbound service to Beijing currently stops in Dalian, where passengers will have to quarantine before travelling onwards to Beijing.

Air China is also operating flights from London to Shanghai and Beijing with tickets currently in very high demand. Flights from London to Qingdao operated by Capital Airlines have also begun, but availability is limited. Other planned flight routes include London to Guangzhou with China Southern and London to Shanghai with China Eastern.

The flights are being operated in accordance with China’s circuit breaker system – meaning if a certain number of cases are found on a particular flight, the route will be temporarily suspended – with additional flights being added to routes operating with lower numbers of Covid-19 cases on board.

You can keep track of which flights are currently suspended under the circuit breakers measures on the Civil Aviation Administration of China website.

When it comes to booking direct flights, we suggest contacting the airlines directly and using their official websites (as opposed to booking engines like Trip.com). It is also worth checking for flights on routes to cities other than Beijing and Shanghai, such as Dalian, Guangzhou or Qingdao.

Flights via a third country

Direct flights are recommended because they significantly simplify the process of travelling to China, but availability is still low and prices high. However, travel through third countries is now permitted and presents a wide range of potential options, as long as you can complete the required pre-departure tests and health declaration in your country of departure and the third country.

Popular routes from the UK via an airport with the necessary pre-flight PCR testing facilities include Helsinki with FinnAir, Copenhagen with SAS, Frankfurt with Lufthansa, and Amsterdam with KLM.

It is worth checking this list of available flights by Blog of Ikky in China, which often gets passed around in WeChat/Facebook groups for people returning to China (however, we cannot guarantee the veracity of the information).

A number of Chambers of Commerce of some European countries in China offer charter flights that can be booked by both members and non-members. For example, AHK (German Chambers of Commerce abroad) is offering a number of flights from Frankfurt to Qingdao up to March 2023, including support from a dedicated team prior to departure and during quarantine. The Italian, Swiss and French Chambers have also arranged flights in recent months.

For more information about the travel process, including testing requirements and how to apply for the Health Declaration Certificate, read Tom Simpson’s recent article about his travel to China.

Another good tip put forward by Smart Shanghai based on one of their editors’ experiences of travelling to China in summer 2022 is to email your nearest Chinese consulate or embassy with your flight and testing plan to ask if it is feasible. Their contact details are usually easily found on their website.

Disclaimer: All details were correct at the time of writing, however, the situation continues to evolve, so we recommend checking directly with the airline or the Chinese embassy where you live if you have any concerns. The flights/routes mentioned above do not represent a complete list of options available.

The post What flights are available between the UK and China? appeared first on Focus - China Britain Business Council.

Since late March 2020, China’s borders have been tightened considerably, with the number of travellers entering China dropping sharply.

International flight seat capacity and passenger numbers are down by 95% compared to pre-Covid-19 levels. Thankfully, recent efforts to increase international direct flights with China indicate this figure may begin to recover marginally as more flights are added to existing and new routes. China’s quarantine measures, however, are expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future, and many are understandably put off by the prospect of ten days in a hotel room and the cost of making the journey.

Early Summer of 2022 saw a reduction of China’s quarantine duration from 21 to 10 days, as well as the simplification of the pre-departure testing procedure. Although still a lengthy and expensive process, these changes have helped to encourage those living in China or overseas to take on the journey.

In addition, China has also relaxed its visa rules by removing the requirement for British nationals to acquire PU letters in order to apply for a Z (work), M (business), or F (non-commerce visit – e.g. lecture, research, cultural exchange) visa.

Below is a summary of my experience of travelling to China in late July and early August of 2022. I have written this article in the hope it could be helpful to anyone planning to make a similar trip from the UK to China via a third country (in this case, Germany), although I must stress that experiences can vary greatly depending on which route to China you take. This is also by no means a complete guide and only aims to provide a summary of what I consider to be the key information. I also already had a Chinese visa so I’m not able to offer any first-hand experience of the application process at present.

The information below covers available flights, my experience with the pre-departure and arrival procedures and some tips for quarantine.

What flights to China are available?

I booked a seat on the German Chamber (AHK) charter flight service which operates one-way flights from Frankfurt to Qingdao. My ten-day quarantine subsequently took place in Qingdao. Further details on this service can be found here.

Direct flights between the UK and China had been suspended since Boxing Day 2020 but have now resumed with Air China between Heathrow and Beijing/Shanghai as of August 2022, with other Chinese airlines planning to operate additional routes also. Airlines will start initially by operating flights from China to the UK with return flights expected to resume in due course. For those looking to travel to China I recommend keeping a close eye for further announcements from Air China, Capital Airlines, China Eastern, and China Southern.

Other popular routes for those travelling from the UK to China include flights transiting in Helsinki and Copenhagen as well as flying to Hong Kong and then on to Xiamen or other cities within China. Hong Kong’s reduced quarantine time of three days now makes this option a lot more appealing, as do the lower cost of London to Hong Kong flights when compared to those going to the Mainland. Destinations such as Xiamen and Qingdao also have a good reputation for the standard of quarantine hotels they provide.

International passengers are greeted by a small army of ‘Dabai’ on arrival in China

The pre-departure process

As my journey began in Edinburgh, I had to acquire a Health Declaration Certificate (HDC) before I departed the UK to catch my flight in Germany. On arrival in Frankfurt, I was then required to complete a second HDC application before boarding my flight to Qingdao. Each HDC application required two PCR tests and various other pieces of information such as my flight itinerary, visa, and so on.

Below is a step-by-step summary of the pre-departure process I followed:

1. PCR Test 1 (within 48 hours of departure to transit country): Tests 1 and 2 must be completed by two different covid test companies. In my case, I used Randox and ExpressTest. Both companies have testing sites across the UK. Some test companies can provide a single service with two different test results specifically designed for those who are travelling to China.
2. PCR Test 2 (within 24 hours of departure with a minimum 24-hour gap from Test 1)
3. Health Declaration Certificate 1: Apply for the HDC using the MFA platform once Test 2 is received. The HDC is an orange QR code that will turn green or red depending on the outcome of your application. When filling out the HDC application, make sure to put the correct Chinese Embassy or Consulate branch in the UK according to the region where your tests were completed. If the tests were taken in two different UK regions, then use the embassy/consulate in the region of the first test. The HDC will take around 1-2 hours depending on how busy the embassy or consulate is at the time. Once received, take a screenshot on your phone.

Travel to your transit country (in my case this was Frankfurt).

1. PCR Test 3 (within 48 hours of departure to China)
2. PCR Test 4 (within 24 hours of departure with a minimum of a 24-hour gap from Test 3)
3. Health Declaration Certificate 2: Follow the same process as above. Again, make sure to select the correct Embassy/Consulate branch according to where the tests were completed. In my case, this meant Edinburgh Consulate for my first HDC completed in the UK, and Frankfurt Consulate for the second HDC.

*Note that for the second HDC application I am also aware of people who have travelled from the UK to China via a third country (e.g. Copenhagen) and taken the second pair of PCR tests within a transit period of as little as 8 hours and still received a green code for the second HDC application. The two tests will still need to be taken at different testing sites or by a company that can provide a China-specific service for both tests. Though I haven’t found it anywhere in writing, this suggests the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs may show flexibility on timescales for travellers who are transiting through third countries.

Prior to boarding, the airlines I was flying with asked to see my second green HDC code. I was also asked to complete a Chinese Customs Declaration on my phone. Once completed you will receive a QR code which will need to be shown on arrival, so again, take a screenshot.

The pre-departure process for travel to China has been somewhat streamlined in recent months

What happens upon arrival in China?

On arrival in Qingdao, I had to provide various forms which you can download below. To speed up the process, I recommend printing out these forms and filling them out ahead of your arrival.

1. Transfer Record Sheet of Key Persons for Covid-19 Control (two copies)
2. Informed consent for sampling (one copy)
3. Covid-19 Epidemiological Investigation (one copy)
4. Chinese Customs Declaration QR code (screenshot)

When I arrived at the airport, I was required to take a PCR test, submit the forms above and show the Chinese Customs Declaration QR code before collecting my luggage and being assigned a hotel. The whole process took around three hours. The hotel was a further hour away. On arriving at the hotel, I was asked to provide my onward (home) address in Beijing, where I would travel to after completing my quarantine. The hotel room charges were paid upfront with any additional expenses paid the day before checkout.

What is quarantine in China like?

Quarantine itself was largely uneventful, as you might expect. I would strongly recommend bringing supplies of your favourite coffee, tea, snacks, and whatever you can fit into your luggage. Items I found particularly useful included a cafetière for making fresh coffee and a penknife, as all cutlery provided was disposable. Snacks like Babybel cheese, dried meats, cereal bars and nuts were all greatly appreciated. The food provided by the hotel was better than I was expecting but still, bring what you can. The hotel I stayed at also provided basic toiletries, alcohol wipes and tissues, but I believe this can vary depending on where you stay.

I am writing this article on the final day of quarantine in Qingdao. My Beijing HealthKit QR has already reverted to green ahead of my flight early tomorrow morning. Ahead of checking out of the hotel, I will be given a hardcopy of all my test results and a ‘certificate of completion’ for my ten days of quarantine. Though rather than a congratulatory pat on the back the certificate is to provide proof I have completed the ten days of isolation in case I am challenged at any point.

All in all, it was a smoother experience than I was expecting. A lot of jumping through hoops and admin. The uncertainty of successfully completing four PCR tests and two HDC applications in four days and transiting through busy airports ahead of departure is the biggest downside along with the high cost – though of course worth going through to see family and friends again after two and a half years. The resumption of direct flights will help reduce some of the pre-departure stress and hopefully, with time, begin to reduce the costs involved.

The post How to travel to China in 2022 appeared first on Focus - China Britain Business Council.

The flights are to be operated by Chinese airlines with various routes being considered in addition to Shanghai Pudong-Heathrow and Beijing-Heathrow.

Flights to Heathrow from Beijing will start on 11 August, and flights to Heathrow from Shanghai will start on 13 August.

The flights will operate in accordance with China’s circuit-breaker system with additional flights being added to routes which operate below a permitted number of cases on board.

Please click here for details on Air China’s flights, or visit www.airchina.com to book.

Further routes to be announced soon.

For further enquiries, please email enquiries@cbbc.org.

The post Direct flights between the UK and China resume August 2022 appeared first on Focus - China Britain Business Council.

British tourists were heading to China by the end of the 1970s, but invariably having to fly with TAROM, Iran Air or Pakistan International Airlines. It was clearly time for the flagship carrier, British Airways, to fly to Beijing.

Starting in November 1980, a Boeing 747 departed every Wednesday from Heathrow, with first, club and tourist classes available. The deal was in partnership with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Tourism was steadily growing, but BA’s initial focus was on the emergent business traveller looking to unlock the potential of what was then 980 million customers.

Yet it almost didn’t happen. In November 1979, a trade delegation led by Chairman Hua Guofeng spoke with Margaret Thatcher and agreed in principle to a direct air link – one flight a week operated by BA and a reciprocal weekly service by CAAC. The first stumbling block was that BA suggested Gatwick for the flight. The Chinese delegation felt this was not prestigious enough and demanded the flight be based out of Heathrow. BA then got nervous, fearing the route would never be profitable and worried about the adverse effect a loss making service could have on its impending privatisation. To make things tougher, China was insisting on a revenue-sharing deal that would effectively mean BA ended up subsidising the CAAC service.

Everything eventually got sorted out. The route was moved to Heathrow while BA accepted that, as a national flagship carrier, it would inevitably have to run some potentially loss-making routes. Initially, it was agreed that BA would run the Beijing service via Hong Kong (though was not allowed to pick up any Hong Kong residents from the then colony to fly to Beijing) until the passenger traffic was sufficient to fly direct. There was an element of European politics in the concessions made to get the service up and running, too. In April 1980, a Beijing-Paris service had been launched by Air France and CAAC. At the time that route used CAAC’s only 747, so the Chinese made an order for two more.

An advert for BA’s flights to Beijing

The inaugural flight took off at 11.10 am on 12 November 1980, flying 18 hours to Beijing with stops in Bahrain and Hong Kong. It wasn’t a cheap trip — Club Class was £936 return (about £3,500 today) and First Class passengers paid £2,345 (a whopping £8,900 return). There was a soft power element to the trip too; the plane carried extensive files of medical data on Ching-Ching, the giant panda who had arrived at London Zoo from China in 1974. Poor Ching-Ching had been ill, thankfully recovered, and zoo officials now hoped she might mate with Chia-Chia. Sadly, they never got it together, but panda experts in China and Britain tried their best to encourage them.

And so, BA launched its London-Beijing service as a regular flight eventually departing several times a week. Later they flew the Queen to China in 1986, arranged a visit by Concorde in 1995 and launched a London-Shanghai direct route in 2005.

The post When was the first British Airways flight to China? appeared first on Focus - China Britain Business Council.

Below are the two announcements made by the Chinese Embassy in London, which offer advise for British nationals planning on returning to China to work.

Updated requirements for Chinese Visa Applications

To facilitate gradually resuming personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the U.K. are ready to accept visa applications through the Chinese Visa Application Service Centres in London, Manchester and Edinburgh as of Aug 18th 2020 from applicants who intend to travel to China for any of the following purposes and meet the following criteria:

1. A British citizen and applicant from any of the 35 other European countries who is holding a valid Foreigner’s Residence Permit of China for work, private matters or family reunion, and needs to go to China for the same visiting purpose as shown on the Residence Permit;
2. Applicant (including accompanying spouse and children under the age of 18) who does not hold a valid Foreigner’s Residence Permit of China for work, private matters or family reunion, but has an “Invitation Letter (PU/TE)” or “Verification Confirmation of Invitation” issued by the Foreign Affairs Office of the provincial government or the provincial department of commerce of the intended place of visit to visit China for economic, trade, scientific, technological, culture or sport purposes;
3. Applicant (including accompanying spouse and children under the age of 18) who does not hold a valid Foreigner’s Residence Permit of China for work, private matters or family reunion, but has obtained “Notification Letter of Foreigners Work Permit” as well as “Invitation Letter (PU/TE)” or “Verification Confirmation of Invitation” to work in China;
4. Applicant who intends to visit China for the following humanitarian reasons:
   a) Applicant intends to visit an immediate family member in China (including parents, spouse, children, grandparents, grandchildren) who is in a critical medical condition and in need of care, or to arrange funeral matters of an immediate family member in China. Photocopies of a medical certificate or death certificate, proof of relationships (including birth certificate, marriage certificate, Chinese household registration, certificate letters from the local police bureau in China, notarial certificate of kinship, etc.), and an invitation letter from relatives in China are required.
   b) Applicant who is spouse or child under the age of 18 of a Chinese citizen or who holds a valid Chinese Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, and intends to visit China for family reunion. An invitation letter and photocopies of the Chinese Identity Card or the Chinese Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, and proof of relationships are required.
   c) Applicant (including accompanying spouse and children under the age of 18) intending to visit China to take care of or support his/her Chinese parents. An invitation letter from the Chinese parent and photocopies of his/her Chinese Identity Card, and proof of relationships are required.

5. Applicant who qualifies for a crew (C) visa. Applicants are required to fill in the online application form and make an appointment with the nearest Chinese Visa Application Centre before submitting applications in person on the date of appointment. Minor children under the age of 14 are not required to go to the Visa Centre for biometric information collection. Visa applications for other visiting purposes which are not included above cannot be accepted at the moment.

Please be advised that the above are temporary arrangements and subject to further change.

Notice on Airline Boarding Requirements (negative COVID test)

In accordance with the announcement of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the General Administration of Customs of China and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, passengers who are to fly from the UK to China will be required to take a nucleic acid test for COVID-19 and apply for a certified Health Declaration Form starting from 21 August 2020. The following procedures are for your reference:

1. Starting from 21 August 2020, passengers who fly to China from the UK, directly or indirectly, will be required to take a nucleic acid test for COVID-19 within five days before boarding. At this stage, the Chinese Embassy does not designate specific institutions to carry out the test. Passenger can choose any hospital or institution to take the test.
2. Passenger shall fill in and sign the Health Declaration Form and send a scanned copy of the signed Form, together with the Nucleic Acid Test Certificate (with negative result), and a photocopy of the bio-page of the passport to the Chinese Embassy or Consulates at the following email addresses:

Chinese Embassy: testreportuk@gmail.com

Chinese Consulate General in Manchester: health_man@outlook.com

Chinese Consulate General in Edinburgh:lsxz_edi@163.com

Chinese Consulate General in Belfast:chinacnbft@gmail.com

To speed up the process, please use “HS+Passenger name+Date of Departure” as subject line of your email, e.g. “HS+John Smith+Aug 12, 2020”.

3. Certified Health Declaration Form with a validity period of 5 days starting from the date of issue of the Nucleic Acid Test Certificate (with negative result) shall be issued by the Chinese Embassy or the Consulates and sent back to the passenger by email.
4. Passenger shall be required to present the print-out certified Health Declaration Form within the validity period during check-in or before boarding the flight and cooperate with airline staff during the inspection. Please be noted that passengers with expired Health Declaration Forms will not be allowed to board the plane and will be required to take nucleic acid tests and apply for the Health Declaration Form again.
5. Passenger is advised to bring the Nucleic Acid Test Certificate (with negative result) to the airport in case of the need for further inspection.
6. Please also be noted that a certified Health Declaration Form is not an alternative to a Chinese visa.

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