BA's chief exec urges visa relaxation as airline offers new routes

British Airways' chief executive has called on the government of the United Kingdom to relax visa requirements for Chinese business and tourist travelers.

Alex Cruz made the call as the airline announced a new codeshare agreement with China Southern Airlines that means BA's customers can use BA's website to book seats on China Southern Airline flights to four destinations in China – Shenyang, Harbin, Changchun, and Dalian.

BA travelers will be able to connect to Shengyang and Harbin via Shanghai while those flying to Dalian will transfer in Beijing and customers headed to Changchun can connect via either Shanghai or Beijing.

British Airways operates 10 flights a week to Shanghai and seven to the Chinese capital, all departing from London Heathrow.

Cruz said the deal will help "drive tourism, and economic and cultural exchange between the UK and China by facilitating reciprocal leisure and business travel".

The UK carrier describes the four new destinations as important business hubs in China and said the routes will make trade between British and Chinese businesses more convenient.

"Now, we need the British government to take urgent action on its visa policy by making it easier for Chinese businesses and tourists to come to the UK," Cruz said. "China is the world's second-largest economy and we need to do all we can to encourage these trade links. This is even more critical post-Brexit."

As part of the agreement, China Southern Airlines' customers will be able to book seats on British Airways flights to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle, and Belfast, connecting to each of these cities via Heathrow.

"We want to achieve our vision of becoming the most popular European airline among Chinese customers," Cruz said. "It is great news for us to be able to offer all our customers the chance to travel to new destinations."

In a statement, China Southern Airlines welcomed the new partnership, calling it a "significant milestone" in its network development strategy.

"The United Kingdom is one of the most competitive markets, and by partnering with British Airways, each airline can use its strength to benefit the other and offer more choice and enhanced connectivity to all guests, while experiencing the world-class services and products offered by both airlines," the Chinese mainland carrier said.

British Airways said it also offers services that cater to Chinese customers, including members of its cabin crew and customer relations team who speak Mandarin and Cantonese.