Gatwick is set to lose another long-haul route next month as Air China has decided to suspend its Beijing service over the winter season.
The route, which only started in 2012, will be suspended from October 27, according to the Airline Route website which publishes route information from GDSs and other sources.
A Gatwick spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that Air China has decided not to operate services between Gatwick and Beijing this winter.
“Over the summer, the airline increased the size of aircraft used on its other UK route, which has caused it to temporarily withdraw services from Gatwick for one season.
“However passenger numbers on the Gatwick route have been consistently strong since its launch and we look forward to welcoming Air China back next summer.”
The move appears to demonstrate that - despite strong load factors - the service is not viable year-round from two UK airports.
Air China continues to operate a daily direct service to Beijing from Heathrow.
Gatwick believes that the carrier will return for the 2014 summer season, commencing in late March. Flights remain open for reservations from March 30, 2014, according to the GDS timetable although this may be change later in the year.
The airport has suffered the loss of several long-haul routes - Korean Airlines suspended its Gatwick-Seoul route late last year and Hong Kong Airlines all-business class service was cancelled after only a few months of operation.
Garuda Indonesia has also postponed the launch of its Gatwick to Jakarta route from November until May 2014.
But it is not all bad news for Gatwick as fellow Asian carrier Vietnam Airlines added a fifth weekly summer service from Gatwick to Ho Chi Minh City in April.
British Airways is also planning to base another long-haul aircraft at Gatwick for summer 2014 allowing it to increase flights on existing routes to the Caribbean and Florida.
airchina.co.uk
gatwickairport.com