British Airways seeks increased presence in China via mainland airline deals

China will no longer be the Achilles’ heel for British Airways, the airline’s head said on Thursday, as it has forged partnerships with all major Chinese airlines in a bid for increased access to the country and will benefit from the huge expansion by mainland carriers into Europe.

“We cannot be a major player on the international stage and connect Britain to the world, and not have a bigger presence [in China]. So far we are doing it via partners,” BA’s chairman and CEO Alex Cruz said in an interview at a Hong Kong trade summit.

New deals signed in the past three years with China Southern and China Eastern Airlines gave BA more access to fly passengers around China while carrying their passengers on its British routes.

Britain’s national airline has by far the smallest presence of the three big European carriers in China, expected to be world’s biggest air travel market by 2022. The company has only 37 one-way flights a week to three cities – Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong – compared to Air-France KLM with 67 flights to eight cities and Lufthansa Group with 90 a week to seven destinations.

Beijing inches closer to becoming world’s busiest airport

Sharing a story to illustrate his desire to keep pace with his European rivals, Cruz said he was in Scotland two weeks ago when someone asked him when BA would be flying to Beijing from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

“I have to fly to more places in China [from London] first, and then maybe later we will fly from Edinburgh and Glasgow,” the airline chief responded.