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China Southern at VCE, SKyteam increases operations in Venice
The chairman of the airport announced a flight VCE-PEK likely operated by China Southern, from autumn.
With this flight, skyteam would provide a good number of operations - long haul too- at VCE, including now CZ, AZ, AF, KL, DL, OK, SU, UX, maybe the second aiport in Italy by number of SKyteam carriers after FCO.
if confirmed is a very good and welcome news. Venice has a big catchment area, extenting up to Slovenia and Croatia, and the more longhaul connections it gets the better. Good also that a chinese carrier see an opportunity there, in spite of the current economic situation. Given the fact that China is one of the biggest markets for Northeast Italian firms, I hope in the future CZ or some other carrier will go also to Guangzhou and Shanghai, thus avoiding once for all the need to transfer to some overinflated european "hub"
They think they can't make a go of the obvious hub-to-hub route (FCO-CAN) that would have ST feed both ends and would greatly facilitate travel to/from places with limited alliance coverage (e.g. Indonesia, Australia, Philippines), and decide to start Venice? In the winter?
I'd expect the route to be pulled pretty fast.
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Signature temporarily removed- apparently somebody hasn't seen me trying to speak Chinese.
They think they can't make a go of the obvious hub-to-hub route (FCO-CAN) that would have ST feed both ends and would greatly facilitate travel to/from places with limited alliance coverage (e.g. Indonesia, Australia, Philippines), and decide to start Venice? In the winter?
I'd expect the route to be pulled pretty fast.
we are talking about a state owned enterprise, in which money is the last of the problems (as far as i know, CZ has some other routes, Africa and Southeast Asia whose yields are negligible, and still keep them). If they are going to make the route daily and price it competitively, it is quite possible that many are going to overlook what mean traveling on a mainland carrier longhaul. Note that from the original article there is no confirmation that CZ has got the route, just that is placed on top of the bidders' list. Situation can change dramatically and the prospects with it if for instance, Dragonair turns as the winner (or Hainan Air, or China Eastern...)
If they are going to make the route daily and price it competitively, it is quite possible that many are going to overlook what mean traveling on a mainland carrier longhaul.
Well, I, for one, have flown CZ longhaul and found them fine; I actually liked them far more than CX. However, that was on a sample of just one segment so I can't vouch for their reliability/IROPS handling etc.
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Signature temporarily removed- apparently somebody hasn't seen me trying to speak Chinese.
This is really interesting and excellent news if true. Not only is there a fairly large Chinese population in the Veneto region, but the Veneto currently has more capital venture investment from China than all of Germany combined. Add into the mix the number of fashion houses or clothing outfitters that have large bases in the Veneto region with production in China and this could make sense. Also, take into account connecting business from other Asian countries like S. Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Thailand making 1-stop connections to northeast Italy quite attractive.
This also gives VCE the chance to be a connecting airport for other Skyteam pax connecting from PRG, FCO, AMS, CDG, LYS, MAD, NAP, PMO, CAG, CTA, and MOW (even if that is not exactly convenient for MOW pax).
If you have to choose between transiting in either Rome, Malpensa or Venice I would choose Venice any day without hesitation - it is by far the best airport in Italy (with more than enough connections to MXP/LIN/FCO and the rest of Europe - except LHR).
