Hainan Airlines has been a permanent face at Brussels Airport for more than 10 years. In 2006, the airline started a direct connection to Beijing and in October last year, Hainan Airlines added a direct flight from Brussels Airport to Shanghai. China is an enormous growth market in the world, and the direct connections will further increase and facilitate the investment and export possibilities between both countries.

Shenzhen Boa’an International Airport is working on a strong international and intercontinental expansion. Until the beginning of 2017, the airport was largely focused on internal, regional traffic. The airport, however, has the capacity and the potential for attracting travellers from (far) beyond the borders. Last year, the airport started a rapid expansion of the number of international and intercontinental routes; the Brussels Airport-Shenzhen Boa’an connection is one of the first routes to the European continent.

Shenzhen is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, with currently around 11.4 million inhabitants. Nearly 23 million people live in the whole Shenzhen city prefecture. The growth in the population is, not surprisingly, also reflected in a strong economic growth. The region is sometimes referred to as the “Silicon Valley of China” and has extensive port facilities, production units and financial institutions.

Shenzhen is located in the province of Guangdong in the south of China and borders on Hongkong. Cathay Pacific already operates a flight to Hongkong from Brussels Airport four times a week, and the new direct connection between Brussels Airport and Shenzhen is the second connection with this region.