Xiamen Airlines (MF) operated its inaugural service between Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport (XMN) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) on September 6, 2026, marking the airline's first direct UK service and Fujian Province's first scheduled passenger link to Britain.
The route operates three times weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays using Boeing 787-9 aircraft, with flights departing from Terminal 4 at Heathrow. XiamenAir describes the service as a 12-hour operation designed to eliminate stopovers and target business, student, and visiting-friends-and-relatives (VFR) traffic between Fujian and the UK, according to Aviation Week's rolling route updates.
Xiamen Airlines is a member of the SkyTeam global alliance, providing onward connectivity from both Xiamen and Heathrow across member carriers' networks. Heathrow Airport's official account welcomed the inaugural on September 6: "Yesterday marked the arrival of the airline's inaugural service between Xiamen and Heathrow, creating a new direct connection between London and China's Fujian Province," confirmed via Heathrow's X account.
The route was first announced in June 2026 and published by specialist aviation tracker AeroRoutes with flight numbers MF821 (XMN–LHR) and MF822 (LHR–XMN).
Sources
- AeroRoutes – Xiamen Airlines Adds London Heathrow From Sep 2026
- Heathrow Airport LinkedIn – Xiamen Airlines Launch Announcement
- Aviation Week – Routes & Networks Rolling Updates W/C Sept. 7, 2026
Sources & references (4)
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