New nonstop flight from China lands at JFK

When China Southern Airlines' first non-stop flight from Guangzhou arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday morning it will bring the airlines top executives and some 300 tourists to the Big Apple—as well as the promise of tens of thousands more visitors throughout the year.

The largest carrier in Asia is commencing service here from Guangzhou, one of the largest cities in China, at a time when the city and state is gearing up to capture a greater share of the booming Chinese tourism market. The Chinese are already the fastest growing overseas segment in the city, jumping 19% in the past year alone. Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently launched an 'I Love NY' advertising campaign in China to attract both business and leisure travelers.

"Now our fourth largest overseas market, China remains a tremendously important source of travel for New York City's five boroughs," said Fred Dixon, chief executive of NYC & Company, in a statement.

The inaugural flight from Guangzhou is expected to arrive at 6:15 a.m. The airline, which already offers non-stop service to Los Angeles, will begin here by offering four flights a week. The implications are enormous, say industry experts.

"If China Southern increases to daily service it could bring as much as 160,000 passengers to New York annually," said airline consultant Craig Jenks, adding "it's certain that this flight will stimulate substantial incremental tourism."

Previously, travelers could only fly between Guangzhou and New York on other Chinese carriers, with a stopover in another city, adding on average three hours to an already long flight, Mr. Jenks said. There is no U.S. carrier that flies to Guangzhou, so the new service essentially opens up a new market to New York.

In July, Mr. Cuomo announced a series of marketing initiatives aimed at the Chinese market, including "Becoming China Ready" workshops upstate to help tourism regions promote their attractions. The majority of Chinese visitors to New York stay here from seven to 13 nights, according to the governor's office.