The sky's the limit as Chengdu's appeal takes wings

This article was published in the Washington Post on August 28, 2014.

Editor's note: Bear with me for a moment. I'm one of the most well-traveled creatures in my hometown, Chengdu. But, in truth, I don't like traveling that much. So, here's my suggestion. Come and see me in my hometown. It's never been easier to get an international flight. I'll be waiting!

With an increasing number of direct international flights, the city is piloting an exciting future, report Li Yu and Peng Chao in Chengdu and Lin Shujuan in Beijing

Benjamin Wang, chairman of American Chamber of Commerce in southwest China, has been based in Chengdu for 10 years.

The dynamism of the city means that every day is one of pleasant surprises, he said.

The latest came in June when United Airlines launched a non-stop Chengdu-San Francisco flight, the first that links a city in the United States to a city in China’s central and western regions.

Travel time has been slashed to 14 hours as passengers are spared transfers at Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou.

"The non-stop flight saves six hours," said Wang, who makes at least four trips to the US every year.

"Thanks to the flight, many of my friends are considering visiting the US. More importantly, the flight links western China to the world, and will make the dynamic western region more integrated into the global economy," he added.

The Chengdu-San Francisco flight is the latest addition to the city's direct international flight routes, which have increased rapidly since 2006 when the city launched the first international direct flight to Amsterdam.

Chengdu now boasts 35 international direct flights, making Shuangliu airport one of the country's busiest.

Jake Cefolia, United Airlines' vice-president of Atlantic and Pacific sales, said at an inaugural ceremony in Chengdu that United had chosen Chengdu because of its rich business opportunities and tourism resources.

"United's research shows that Chengdu provides access to a market of 200 million people," he said.

United Airlines use Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners to operate the three-times-weekly service which departs San Francisco on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and arrives at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport the following day.

Ticket sales before the launch of the non-stop service indicated that passenger numbers from June to August would be the highest among the carrier's 13 direct flights from China to the US, Cefolia said.

"We are quite happy with the route's performance since the launch as well as the booking trend for this summer and beyond which has been meeting our expectations," said Walter Dias, United's managing director for Greater China & South Korea, told China Daily in July.

"We are receiving positive feedback from our customers about the convenience of the non-stop service. We are closely monitoring the market and are ready to add capacity whenever we see sufficient profitable demand," he said.

Just one month before United opened the route, British Airways increased the number of the flights between Chengdu and London from three to five a week, less than eight months after the route was opened.

Willie Walsh, CEO of BA's parent company International Airlines Group, said direct flights between Chengdu and London started in September and has fully met his expectations.

"One of the things that attracted us to set up this service is the number of Fortune 500 companies that have a presence in Chengdu," he said.

Chengdu produces half of the world's laptop chips and two thirds of the iPads. More than half of Fortune Global 500 companies have a presence in the city, such as Intel, Dell, IBM, Siemens, Bosch and Lenovo.

Walsh said he first visited Chengdu in 2010 and had been working on launching direct flights since then.

The Chengdu-London flight is also the first non-stop flight between the United Kingdom and China's central and western regions.

Tracy Dedman, British Airways' regional general manager for Greater China and the Philippines, said the company saw huge potential in Chengdu, as it moves rapidly into a world-class international aviation hub.

"We are sure UK leisure travelers will be extremely keen to visit the home of the Giant Panda as well as experience the excellent cuisine and rich culture of China, a civilization much older than our own," she said.

Her optimism is built on solid ground.

The city has increasingly become a must-visit for foreign leaders and dignitaries to China.

In July, German Chancellor Angela Merkel choose Chengdu as the first stop of her seventh official China trip.

Michelle Obama, US first lady, also picked Chengdu as the last stop of her China tour in March.

Last December British Prime Minister David Cameron sampled hotpot in Chengdu, enjoyed Chinese tea at the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu, named after a famous poet in Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), and visited a street in Jinli reminiscent of a bygone era.

"It's no coincidence that they chose Chengdu as an important stop. Obviously the city has been the focus of extensive attention from across the world," said Yu Jianwei, executive dean of the Institute of Economic Development at Sichuan University.

"China's 'Go West' strategy has achieved global appeal, while Chengdu leads the development of western China. Global links have turned Chengdu from an isolated inland city to a pioneer of opening-up western China and an indispensable part of the world economy," he said.

Chen Zhongwei, director of Chengdu's logistics office, said Chengdu government plans to open three new international routes every year.

The logistics office, first of its kind in the country, was set up by the Chengdu government to boost its transportation and logistics industry.

The city boasts 157 domestic and 74 international routes, enabling passengers to travel to 108 domestic and 65 overseas destinations from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Direct routes to Moscow, Paris and Africa are also set to take off.

The airport has become the country's fourth-largest aviation hub in terms of passenger volume. It handled 33.4 million passengers in 2013. The annual throughput of international passengers surged by 155 percent from 2010 to 2013.

Chengdu is also planning a new airport, and will be the third city on the Chinese mainland to have a second airport, after Beijing and Shanghai. The new airport is expected to handle 80 million passengers annually.