NICE, France (Reuters) - Air China will launch this summer a direct flight between Beijing and the Riviera city of Nice, the first route linking China and a regional French airport, the airport's director said.
Air China will use an Airbus A330-200 to fly the route three times a week, easing access for China's fast-growing tourism market to a stretch of Mediterranean coastline frequented by tycoons and celebrities alike.
"We've been talking about this for 20 years but we've only been in a position to talk about this with China for three or four years," Nice airport director Dominique Thillaud told Reuters.
In recent years, the airport, which is owned by a Franco-Italian consortium, has translated its website into Mandarin, installed Chinese-language signage and equipped its terminal building with interactive kiosks to assist Chinese travellers in a drive to increase Chinese visitor numbers.
(Reporting by Matthias Galante; Editing by Richard Lough)
