Category Archives: Air China

Air China to start nonstop Beijing – Johannesburg service

Air China (Beijing) has announced it will start Beijing – Johannesburg nonstop service on October 29, 2015 , which will be the first air link offered by a Chinese carrier between Mainland China and South Africa and also Air China’s first route to Africa.

The flights, CA867/8, Beijing – Johannesburg are to be operated on Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday (outbound) and on Monday/Wednesday/Friday (inbound). The outbound flight departs from Beijing at 23:15 Beijing time, and arrives in Johannesburg at 7:35 local time on the following day. The inbound flight departs from Johannesburg at 11:50 local time and arrives in Beijing at 7:30 Beijing time. The flights are to be operated with Boeing 777-300 ER, an aircraft type quite popular with the world’s business travelers.

This year, Air China will also start Beijing – Addis Ababa service.

Copyright Photo: AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-39L ER B-2035 (msn 38674) in the special “Smiling China” color scheme taxies at London (Heathrow).

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Air China is coming to Newark starting on October 26

Air China (Beijing) will commence the nonstop Beijing – Newark route starting on October 26. The new route will be operated four days a week with Boeing 777-300 ERs per Airline Route.

Copyright Photo: Antony J. Best/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-39L B-2036 (msn 38676) taxies to the gate at Heathrow Airport in London.

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Air China launches the third daily flight from Los Angeles to Beijing

Air China (Beijing) officials and China-bound passengers at Tom Bradley International Terminal welcomed the arrival of the inaugural flight of the airline’s third daily nonstop service from Beijing (flight CA 887) at 9 a.m. PDT yesterday (July 1). China’s national flag carrier is also celebrated the first day of the relocation of its airport operations from Terminal 2 to the Los Angeles International Airport’s (LAX) bigger and newly renovated Tom Bradley International Terminal.

All of Air China’s three Los Angeles (LAX)-Beijing (PEK) daily nonstop services are operated by the Boeing 777-300 ER. Air China is the only airline with a nonstop service between these two cities.

Air China offers nonstop services to Beijing from its seven gateways in North America: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington Dulles, Houston, Honolulu and Vancouver. In addition to Los Angeles, Air China is also the only airline with nonstop services to Beijing from New York and Houston. If offers double daily services from New York’s JFK International; daily services from Houston, Vancouver and San Francisco; four times weekly service from Washington Dulles and three times weekly from Honolulu to Beijing.

On September 29, 2015, Air China will launch the three times weekly nonstop service between Beijing and Montreal (Trudeau). It will be the first transpacific direct link between these two cities. The new Montreal service will bring Air China’s number of gateways in North America to a total of eight.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-39L B-2088 (msn 38668) approaches the runway at Los Angeles International Airport.

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United Airlines and Air China expand their codeshare agreement

United Airlines (Chicago) and Air China (Beijing), members of Star Alliance, have announced plans to expand their code-sharing cooperation, covering an additional 22 routes in the China and U.S. markets. With this expansion, United and Air China will codeshare together on more than 110 routes, offering customers the most comprehensive route network between the U.S. and China.

Air China will place its CA code on United-operated flights on 12 additional U.S. domestic routes: from Los Angeles to Dallas/DFW, Cleveland, Tucson, San Antonio, New York/Newark and Seattle; from San Francisco to Salt Lake City and Austin; from Washington, D.C./Dulles to Columbus and Tampa; and from Houston/Bush Intercontinental to Tampa and Nashville. United will place its UA code on Air China-operated flights on 10 additional domestic routes in China: from Beijing to Mianyang, Taiyuan, Sanya, Shanghai Hongqiao, Yinchuan, Xining, Liuzhou, Haikou and Lanzhou; and from Shanghai Pudong to Yinchuan.

These new code-sharing routes will be open for sale from June 2, 2015.

Air China and United have enjoyed a successful cooperative relationship since 2003.

Air China in the U.S.

Air China has six gateways in the U.S.: New York/JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston/Bush Intercontinental, Washington, D.C./Dulles and Honolulu.

United in China

United began nonstop service to China in 1986 and today serves Beijing with nonstop flights from Chicago, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington/Dulles; Shanghai with nonstop flights from Chicago, Guam, Los Angeles, New York/Newark and San Francisco; Chengdu with nonstop flights from San Francisco; and Hong Kong with nonstop flights from Chicago, Guam, New York/Newark, San Francisco, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City.

Top Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin/AirlinersGallery.com. San Francisco (SFO) is United’s main gateway to the Pacific. Boeing 777-222 ER N786UA (msn 26938) arrives at the SFO hub.

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Bottom Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin/AirlinersGallery.com. Air China’s newly delivered Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental has been put into service on the carrier’s Chongqing – Beijing – San Francisco route starting in May 2015. This is Air China’s second route to North America operated with the “Queen in the Sky” after the airliner was introduced on the carrier’s Beijing-New York route at the beginning of this year. The pictured Boeing 747-89L B-2487 (msn 44932) rests between flight at San Francisco International Airport.

Air China brings its new Boeing 747-800 to San Francisco

Air China’s (Beijing) Boeing 747-800 Intercontinental makes its U.S. West Coast debut in San Francisco today (May 1), replacing the new-generation Boeing 777-300 ER used for the daily nonstop service between the City by the Bay and China’s capital, Beijing. A reception at the airport museum to celebrate the arrival of the inaugural flight of Air China’s Boeing 747-800 into San Francisco International Airport at 12:20 PM PDT today is hosted by the airline’s San Francisco team led by Ms. Litao Zhao, General Manager.

The Boeing 747-800 is the first and only aircraft in Air China’s fleet with a four-cabin configuration. It features 12 luxury suites in the Forbidden Pavilion (first class cabin), 54 fully-flat bed seats in the Capital Pavilion (business class), 66 premium economy seats and 233 in the economy cabin for a total of 365 seats.

The 180-degree fully-flat sleepers in the Capital Pavilion are split between the main deck and the entire upper deck, giving Air China’s guests an exclusive private space. Majority of the lie-flat bed seats are arranged in a staggered 2-2 configuration.

According to the airline, seats in premium economy and economy cabins offer more legroom for maximum comfort. An enhanced entertainment system offers a wide array of user-friendly features, including mobile app icons and a sliding touch control.

Premium economy seats offer eight inches more legroom (40 inches) than economy seats. In addition to priority boarding, premium economy passengers are offered a welcome drink, hot towels, slippers and many other inflight amenities for more convenience.

Air China’s Boeing 747-800 is also the first to sport the company’s new cabin interior which depicts three traditional Chinese cultural elements that represent the harmonious unity of heaven, earth and sky.

Flight CA 986 arrives in SFO at 12:20 PM. The return flight, flight CA 986 departs SFO at 2:50 PM (1450).

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Copyright Photo: Eric Dunetz/AirlinersGallery.com. Air China Boeing 747-89L B-2485 (msn 41191) departs from New York (JFK).

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Air China and Air New Zealand announce proposed alliance details, Air China to start Beijing-Melbourne service and will increase Boeing 777-300 ER flights to Los Angeles

Air China (Beijing) and Air New Zealand (Auckland) have released details of a proposed alliance on services between China and New Zealand.

The alliance, subject to regulatory approvals, would see Air China introduce a daily nonstop service between Beijing and Auckland.

The Chinese flag carrier would also continue to codeshare on Air New Zealand’s daily Shanghai – Auckland service which will be operated exclusively by Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from August 24.

The proposed alliance would further open up Beijing as a new market to and from New Zealand and the airlines aim to almost double sustainable capacity between China and New Zealand while delivering a range of other benefits to travellers including greater frequency and network connections.

Subject to regulatory approvals, alliance services could commence as early as December 2015.

In other news, Air China will start Beijing-Melbourne four-times weekly nonstop service from June 1, 2015, becoming the only carrier that offers Beijing-Melbourne nonstop service. At the same time, the carrier will continue its Shanghai-Melbourne nonstop service.

The four-times weekly flights CA 165/6 will be offered on Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday. The service is slated to increase to daily from October 25, 2015. The outbound flight departs from Beijing at 02:00 and arrives in Melbourne at 15:30 local time; the return flight departs from Melbourne at 20:40 local time and arrives in Beijing at 06:30. The flights will be operated with Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

Finally, Air China will add flights to its Beijing-Los Angeles route from May 2015, further strengthening its presence on the North American market.

The new flight numbers are CA 887/8. From May 2 to June 30, 2015, four flights will be offered per week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. From July 1 to October 24, the flights will be increased to daily. The outbound flight departs from Beijing at 12:00 and arrives in Los Angeles at 09:00 local time. The return flight departs from Los Angeles at 11:30 and arrives in Beijing at 15:10 local time. Boeing 777-300 ER, an aircraft type quite popular with the world’s business travelers, features full-flat seats in First Class/Business Class as well as Central Bar, personal AVODs and power outlets in all classes of service, accessible toilet and mood lighting system which can mimic wonderful moments from sunrise to sunset.

From 2013 to 2014, Air China started three nonstop routes: Beijing-Houston, Beijing-Hawaii and Beijing-Washington. Currently, Air China serves 7 destinations in North America, including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, Washington, Vancouver and Hawaii, spanning the southern, western and eastern parts of the United States. It offers 104 flights per week operated with the Boeing 777-300 ER. On January 7, 2015, Air China’s first Boeing 747-8, a new member of Boeing 747 family, made its maiden flight on its long-range route: Beijing-New York.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 777-39L ER B-2039 (msn 38675) departs from Los Angeles International Airport.

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Air New Zealand aircraft slide show:

Air China to open a Beijing – Minsk – Budapest route

Air China (Beijing) plans to start Beijing – Minsk – Budapest services from May 1, 2015. The will be the only direct route from China to Belarus and Hungary.

The four-time weekly Beijing – Minsk – Budapest services CA721/722 will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sunday. The outbound flight departs from Beijing at 13:00 Beijing time and arrives in Minsk at 16:50 local time and in Budapest at 18:20 local time. The return flight departs from Budapest at 19:00 and arrives in Beijing at 11:50 Beijing time on the second day. The route is to be operated with Airbus A330-200

By December 2014, Air China had a fleet of 523 passenger aircraft and freighters of mainly Boeing and Airbus families (including those of the carriers which Air China has a majority stake in). It operates 322 routes, including 82 international routes, 15 regional routes and 225 domestic routes. It serves 159 cities in 32 countries and regions, including 53 international cities, 3 regional cities and 103 domestic cities. Every week, Air China offers over 1.3 million seats on over 7000 flights per week.

Utilizing its extensive route network and its hub in Beijing, especially after its admission to the Star Alliance, Air China can fly passengers to 1,328 airports in 195 countries.

Copyright Photo: Stefan Sjogren/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A330-243 B-06073 (msn 780) prepares to land in Stockholm (Arlanda).

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Air China announces its third nonstop flight from Beijing to Los Angeles

Air China (Beijing) has formally announced the third nonstop service between Los Angeles and Beijing starting on May 2, 2015.

Air China’s third service will start with four flights per week on May 2, 2015 and will increase to daily on July 1, 2015. Dr. Chi also announced Air China’s move from Terminal 2 at LAX to Tom Bradley International Terminal on July 1, 2015.

The additional third service (flight CA 887/CA 888) will be operated by Air China’s new generation Boeing 777-300 ER.

The carrier further states; “Featuring state-of-the-art green technology, the triple seven delivers better fuel burn performance and is much quieter than any other aircraft. With a spacious three-cabin interior, ambient lighting and an enhanced entertainment system, the B777-300ER provides transpacific passengers with a smooth, comfortable experience. It features eight luxury suites in the Forbidden Pavilion (first class), 41 fully-flat sleeper seats in the Capital Pavilion (business class) and 259 economy seats with individual TV monitors and in-seat audio-video on demand.”

Air China is the only airline with nonstop services between Los Angeles and Beijing. It is also the only Chinese carrier with more-than-once daily frequency from the United States to China.

Air China offers nonstop services to Beijing from its seven gateways in North America: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington Dulles, Houston, Honolulu and Vancouver. In addition to Los Angeles, Air China is also the only airline with nonstop services to Beijing from New York and Houston. It offers double daily services from New York’s JFK International; daily services from Houston, Vancouver and San Francisco; four times weekly service from Washington Dulles and three times weekly from Honolulu to Beijing.

On January 6, 2015, flights CA 981/CA 982 between New York and Beijing was upgraded to Boeing’s newest and largest passenger wide-body aircraft, the Boeing 747-800. On May 1 this year, the aircraft for Air China’s daily nonstop San Francisco-Beijing service will also be upgraded to the iconic Boeing 747-800. Air China’s Boeing 747-800 is the first in Air China’s fleet with a four-cabin configuration: Forbidden Pavilion, Capital Pavilion, Premium Economy and Economy. Air China is the launch carrier in Asia for Boeing’s 747-800.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Air China’s Boeing 777-39L ER B-2045 (msn 41443) approaches the runway at Los Angeles International Airport.

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Air China to start Chengdu – Colombo flights

Air China (Beijing) will commence nonstop service from Chengdu to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on February 10, 2015.

Air China will operate its Chengdu-Colombo service CA425/6 with Airbus A330 aircraft. The four flights a week will be offered on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The outbound flight departs from Chengdu at 18:30 Beijing time and arrives in Colombo at 21:50 local time. The inbound flight departs from Colombo at 23:10 local time and arrives in Chengdu at 06:40 of the second day. The new nonstop route will be Air China’s fourth one to Southeast Asia after the launch of the routes to Kathmandu, Mumbai and Bangalore by the carrier. It will spare passengers who travel between southwest China and Sri Lanka the trouble of having to make flight connections in cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore, thusly cutting the travel time from 10 hours to 5.5 hours.

China is Sri Lanka’s third largest trading partner, and more and more Chinese tourists visit Sri Lanka. Statistics of 2013 suggest that China has become the country’s largest source of tourists in East Asia.

Chengdu – Colombo route is the first of the kind linking the two cities and represents one of the important moves of Air China to make Chengdu its regional hub of operations. It will solidify the position of Chengdu as a center of traffic in South Asia, and is part of Air China’s endeavor to make Chengdu an international hub of commercial aviation.

Air China aircraft slide show:

http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Asia-1/Airlines-Asia1-AE/Air-China

Air China introduces the new Boeing 747-800 to New York, will also operate on the Beijing – San Francisco route

Air China (Beijing) will introduce the new Boeing 747-800 on the Beijing – San Francisco route on May 1 per Airline Route. The carrier introduced the new type on the Beijing – New York (JFK) route yesterday (January 7). The new type will also be assigned to the Beijing – Chongqing route starting on May 1.

Air China today issued this statement:

Air China’s Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental debuted internationally on the Beijing-New York route on Wednesday, January 7, 2015. Expected arrival at JFK International is at 1:30 p.m. EST local time. A New York welcome awaits the Boeing 747-8i’s first international flight from Beijing, starting with a traditional water cannon salute shortly after landing, followed by a reception inside the cabin hosted by Air China’s New York offices led by Mr. Yuelong Zhou, General Manager.

Air China’s Flights 981 and 982 will be operated by the new-generation Boeing 747-8i on a daily basis while Flights 988 and 989 continue to be operated by Boeing 777-300 ER.

Air China is the launch carrier in Asia for Boeing’s newest wide body passenger aircraft. It is also the first inChina to operate the Boeing 747-8i and the only airline with nonstop services between New York and Beijing.

Air China’s Boeing 747-800i features 12 luxury suites in the Forbidden Pavilion first class cabin, 54 fully-flat sleepers Capital Pavilion business class, 66 premium economy seats and 233 in the economy cabin for a total of 365 seats.

The business class 180-degree flat-bed seats are split between the main deck and the entire upper deck, giving Air China’s guests an exclusive private space. Majority of the lie-flat sleepers are arranged in a staggered 2-2 configuration.

Seats in premium economy and economy cabins offer more legroom for maximum comfort. An enhanced entertainment system offers a wide array of user-friendly features, including mobile phone apps and a sliding touch control.

Air China’s Boeing 747-8i is also the first to sport the company’s new cabin interior (below) which depicts three traditional Chinese cultural elements that represent the harmonious unity of heaven, earth and sky.

Copyright Photo: Bernie Leighton/AirlinersGallery.com. Air China took delivery of the pictured Boeing 747-89L B-2485 (msn 41191) on September 30, 2014.

Air China aircraft slide show: