Operated by Juneyao Air, the Manchester–Shanghai route operates daily during August and September and three times weekly throughout the rest of the year, and celebrated its one year anniversary this summer, after launching on 1 July 2024.
Juneyao Air is based at Shanghai and has been operating flights since 2006. It is backed by Shanghai Juneyao Group, one of China’s Top 100 private companies.
The carrier has hubs at Shanghai’s main Pudong International airport and the city’s secondary Hongqiao airport. In total, Juneyao Air offers 260 daily departures at 80 airports on a fleet of more than 100 aircraft, with a host of connections throughout the Asia Pacific region and Australia that will be attractive to travellers in the Manchester catchment.
Flights from Manchester are operated on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner featuring economy and business class. The aircraft offers 29 fully lie-flat seats in Business Class in a 1-2-1 layout, with 18-inch TV screens and massage function, plus free WiFi. There are 295 seats in Economy Class with 12-inch screens and charging ports and all economy passengers receive 10 minutes’ free WiFi.
There is expected to be a significant market for Juneyao Air’s flights in both directions. Shanghai is China’s financial hub, with around 185,000 people already travelling there from the north of England indirectly each year.
According to the 2011 Census there were more than 9,000 Chinese students at Manchester’s universities – a figure that has significantly grown since 2011 – plus more than 40 universities within two hours of Manchester Airport, with many of those studying there expected to use the new link. In total, Manchester has 13,500 Chinese residents, while Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds add another potential market of 21,000.
Leisure travellers from Manchester will be attracted by Shanghai as a stopover destination or as a highlight of a China multi-centre itinerary. The image of the vast, futuristic city topped by its iconic Oriental Pearl Tower can be deceptive – stroll beside the Huangpu River on the promenade known as The Bund and you are amidst grand classical architecture and one of the world’s best collections of Art Deco buildings. There are also ancient temples, pagodas and world-class museums dotted among the skyscrapers, making Shanghai a compelling destination for any visitor.
See onboard Juneyao Air’s aircraft in this video:
Getting Connected
Juneyao Air offers a host of onward flights through its two hubs at Shanghai but has the bonus of being a Star Alliance Connecting Partner, meaning seamless connections with other carriers.
The main hub at Shanghai Pudong airport offers one-stop Juneyao Air connections to countries including Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan and since late 2024, Australia; with Sydney and Melbourne now featuring. In addition, more than 20 domestic routes are operated by Juneyao Air from Shanghai’s Hongqiao airport, encompassing many of China’s major destinations.
The airline’s status as Star Alliance’s first connecting partner means agents can offer a single booking featuring Juneyao Air and another carrier to many onward destinations from Shanghai. Partner carriers include Air China, All Nippon Airways, EVA Air, Shenzhen Airlines and Singapore Airlines. All passengers and their bags are checked through to their final destination. Another bonus is that passengers holding Star Alliance Silver and Gold cards may be offered privileges according to status when connecting.
It all makes for a compelling reason to consider Juneyao Air for your clients’ travels to China and many destinations beyond – direct and only from Manchester.
