Andalucía's head of tourism: 'Flights to China and more direct connections to the US will have to wait until 2026'

Questions about the potential direct flights between Andalucía and China, as well as more connections with the US, were presented during the Junta de Anadlaucía’s regional minister of tourism’s appearance at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London on 4 November. Arturo Bernal responded that negotiations are advancing, although they are a complicated matter that requires an investment of one hundred million euros just for establishing the route between Shanghai to Andalucía, which does not include the operations themselves.

“Flights into China and more direct links to the US must wait until 2026,” said he. Bernal believes that the airline is moving in the right direction.

The regional minister did not provide any specifics, but said that news about European connections will be announced soon. Earlier in the year, Ryanair, for example, left a void after pulling out of some Andalusian medium-sized airports like Cordoba and Granada. Bernal stated that the Junta was working to restore connections and is in negotiations with other airlines. The Junta is working to recover connections and negotiations with other companies are underway.