Direct flights between Manchester and Hong Kong are to be offered from the winter by Cathay Pacific.
The airline plans four flights a week on the route to complement five flights a day from Heathrow.
The service will be launched on December 8, subject to government approval, with tickets available from today (Thursday).
A Boeing 777-300ER will be used on the service with business class, premium economy and new economy seats.
Inbound flights will arrive in Manchester from Hong Kong at 6.20am on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Flights will depart from Manchester the same day at 12 noon and arrive in Hong Kong at 7.55am local time on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
The airline’s general manager for Europe Angus Barclay said: “We are committed to forging stronger links between the UK and China. We already currently operate five flights a day from London Heathrow to Hong Kong and the addition of the Manchester route provides a real opportunity to help stimulate economic growth in the northwest.
“We continue to see an ever-increasing demand for air travel to and from the Asia-Pacific region for both business and leisure traffic.
“This will be the only non-stop direct service from Manchester to Hong Kong; Cathay Pacific offers passengers even more choice and flexibility and, at the same time, will boost Manchester’s standing as an International hub.”
Manchester Airports Group chief executive Charlie Cornish said: “This announcement follows lengthy discussions with airlines regarding direct flights from Manchester to Hong Kong and mainland China.
“It is therefore satisfying to see Cathay Pacific recognise the potential of Manchester airport’s business, leisure and ethnic catchment strength by providing direct services from here.
“We know that more than 100,000 passengers currently begin their journey in the northwest and travel to Hong Kong so we are keen to serve that demand direct. The government wants to see the best use of existing airport capacity in the short term and we believe we are well placed to play our part in the process as the largest airport in the north.”
He added: “We are sure the route will be successful and we welcome the reduction in Air Passenger Duty in the recent budget, which we envisage will encourage other airlines to announce long-haul routes from Manchester that are currently being actively considered.”