Dragonair will begin a daily service to the Chinese city of Wenzhou, a thriving manufacturing centre on the southeast coast, from January 25 next year.
An A320 aircraft will operate the service. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday it will leave Hong Kong at 0805 to arrive into Wenzhou at 0945. On Tuesday it will depart at 1655 and touch down at 1855, while on Thursday and Sunday it will take off at 1700 and land at 1855.
The return leg will take off from Wenzhou at 1105 on Monday and Saturday, to arrive back in Hong Kong at 1315. On Wednesday and Friday it will depart at 1300 and land at 1510, while on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, it will leave at 2010 and touch down at 2210.
“We are very excited to serve the city of Wenzhou, whose vibrant commercial activities and strong overseas ties provide great market potential for both the business and leisure travel segments,” said Patrick Yeung, Dragonair’s chief executive.
Wenzhou is located about 500km south of Shanghai. It is on the coast and has a port which opens up shipping options throughout the South China Sea and to nearby Taiwan.
The city is a centre for manufacturing, particularly light products, such as electrical machinery, textile, garments, plastic and metal items. In the past 30 years, it has emerged as a hub for the manufacture of low-voltage electric appliances, which involves several overseas corporations.
According to Reuters, in March this year Wenzhou was the pilot city for financial reforms aimed at creating more funding opportunities for private companies. Under the scheme, private investors in Wenzhou are encouraged to buy into local banks and set up financial institutions and may also be allowed to make direct investments overseas.
Wenzhou is linked by a high-speed rail to Fuzhou, to the southwest, and Ningbo, to the northeast (see here). In July 2011, it was the site of a fatal high-speed rail accident killing 40 people.
In January next year, Dragonair will also start flights to the inland Chinese city of Zhengzhou (see here).
For more information, visit www.dragonair.com
Nicholas Olczak
