After Ürümqi (URC), Guangzhou (CAN), Chengdu (CTU), and Shanghai (PVG), Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG), Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) is now in talks to add a fifth Chinese service to its destination portfolio. Currently, China is served twenty times per week out of the Scottish airport. Discussions are in progress with Jiangsu Provincial Government which is also seeking to enhance direct air cargo links between China and the United Kingdom. PIK’s Chief Executive Officer, Jules Matteoni, and its Regional Director, Colin Dai, met with Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Jiangsu Province, Ma Shiguang, and local officials in Nanjing, recently, where plans were considered to launch a cargo connection to China’s Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG), in 2027. If the proposed route goes ahead, it will further establish PIK as a key cargo and e-commerce gateway to the United Kingdom and northwest Europe – particularly for China. “Discussions will now continue on the commercial and operational requirements for the proposed service, with further details on the operator and launch schedule to be announced in the coming months,” the release informs.
PIK’s Chief Executive Officer, Jules Matteoni, stressed: “China is an increasingly important part of our cargo network, and a direct link with Nanjing would strengthen the options available to businesses moving goods between the United Kingdom and one of China’s largest provincial economies. We are working with our partners in Jiangsu to establish a route that can support long term demand, strengthen trade links, and create economic opportunities at both ends of the connection.”
Colin Dai, Regional Director of PIK, added: “Every new connection into China creates another opportunity for exporters to reach customers and supply chains more directly. Jiangsu has a substantial manufacturing base, and we see a clear opportunity to build stronger cargo flows in both directions while giving businesses in Scotland and across the United Kingdom greater access to the Chinese market.”
