Air China restores nonstop flights between Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) and London Gatwick (LGW) from July 12, 2026, seven years after the carrier shifted its Chengdu operations from Gatwick to Heathrow. The route operates four times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) through August 10, with a brief pause before resuming at two weekly flights from September 11 to 27.
Airbus A350-900 aircraft serve the route. Outbound flight CA629 departs Chengdu at 13:45 on Fridays and Sundays and at 14:00 on Mondays and Wednesdays, arriving at Gatwick between 18:05 and 18:30 depending on day. Return flight CA630 departs Gatwick at 20:20 and arrives at Chengdu the following day at 14:00.
The resumption runs alongside Air China's existing three-weekly Chengdu Tianfu to London Heathrow service (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays), giving southwest China passengers the choice of two London airports. Aerospace Global News noted this makes the Chengdu Tianfu to Gatwick route the airport's fifth new long-haul service this summer, alongside connections to Sharjah, Entebbe, Bangkok and Ottawa.
Air China transferred its original Chengdu to Gatwick route to Heathrow in 2019; the July 2026 resumption uses Chengdu Tianfu, a newer facility that replaced the older Shuangliu airport for most long-haul traffic.
Sources
Sources & references (4)
Things to do at each end of the route
Top-rated tours & experiences in Chengdu and London.