British Airways and China Southern Airlines signed a codeshare agreement, offering customers convenient new routes between key Chinese cities and England.

As part of the new agreement, customers can book seats on China Southern Airlines flights to and from four destinations in China — Shenyang (SHE), Harbin (HRB), Changchun (CGQ) and Dalian (DLC) — all important business hubs in China. China Southern Airlines customers can book seats on British Airways flights to Edinburgh (EDI), Glasgow (GLA), Manchester (MAN), Newcastle (NCL), Belfast (BFS) and more.

With China Southern operating the largest fleet and most developed route network of any airline in China, and British Airways offering unique services including tailored menus and Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking cabin crew, the new partnership is a welcomed one for many travellers.

“Now we need the British government to take urgent action on its visa policy by making it easier for Chinese businesses and tourists to come to the United Kingdom. China is the world’s second-largest economy and we need to do all we can to encourage these trade links. This is even more critical post Brexit,” said Alex Cruz, chief executive, British Airways.