Nice Cote d'Azur hosted its first direct flight from China - operated by Air China
For the first time in France, outside Paris, Nice Côte d'Azur airport welcomed a plane coming directly from China. This new route strengthens the international development of France's second largest airport hub and strengthens its position as an alternative to major European hubs.
On August 2nd, Nice Côte d'Azur airport welcomed the A330-200 from Air China , the first Chinese airline to open a direct line between China and Nice .
This inaugural flight took place in the presence of Mr. Bernard Gonzalez, Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Ms. Yu Jinsong, Minister Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in France, Mr. Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of Metropole Nice Côte d'Azur and vice-president of the South Region, the Chinese actor LIU Ye, in his capacity as ambassador of tourism of the Côte d'Azur in China and honorary citizen of the City of Nice, and Mr. TAN Huamin, Vice President of Air China.
"It is a great pride to become the first airport in France , after Paris, to connect its Territory to China , the world's leading tourist emitter. This new road represents many economic opportunities for the Côte d'Azur, and more broadly the entire South Region, and participates fully in strengthening its attractiveness throughout the world. The confidence shown by Air China in our Territory honors us and, above all, obliges us to make this development a success. All the vital forces of our Territory feel mobilized towards this objective, "says Dominique Thillaud, CEO of Aéroports de la Côte d'Azur.
In 2018, the Nice Côte d'Azur airport received 83,000 indirect passengers from China, including 53,000 Chinese nationals. In the last five years, passenger traffic from Beijing has grown by 51%, a sign of growing interest from Chinese tourists to the Riviera.
During the summer of 2018, the airport increased its long-haul destinations by 50%, with the addition of a direct link to Kuwait and another to China . Now positioned in the heart of a network connecting 23 airports in France to nearly 100 international destinations , Nice Côte d'Azur asserts itself as an alternative to major European hubs, a situation reinforced by the launch in June of its offer of self-connecting called Nice Connect, allowing all travelers to combine any flight, from any company, from its terminals, more than 23,000 possible combinations per week in high season.
Selection of downloadable visuals: https://we.tl/t-SLFQCNkHoB
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Contact presse
Aymeric Staub
+33 0(4) 93 21 30 67 – aymeric.staub@cote-azur.aeroport.fr