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 to China and more direct connections to the US will have to wait until 2026," he announced. However, Bernal is positive that they are on the right track.

Without providing specific details, the regional minister announced that there will soon be news regarding European connections. Earlier this year, some airlines such as Ryanair left a gap after withdrawing operations from medium-size Andalusian airports such as Cordoba, Granada, Almeria and Jerez. Bernal said that the Junta is working to recover connections there and negotiations with other companies are under way. In addition, "significant growth in Malaga, Seville and Almeria, which are the three fastest growing airports in the region", can also be expected.