Air Travel Guide for China

Direct Flight from Beijing to Saipan Launched

CRIENGLISH.com, Dec.  21, 2006 - Air China on Sunday launched a direct flight between the Chinese capital of Beijing and tourist hotspot Saipan, located in the Northern Mariana Islands. The carrier will fly from Beijing twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays. The non-stop flight takes only six hours, three hours shorter than previous flights. In the past, travelers had to transfer in Shanghai or South Korea. Statistics show the number of Chinese travelers to Saipan is increasing at a steady rate of 15 percent every year. It is perceived that the new flight will help boost the local tourism industry during the upcoming Spring Festival, which falls in mid-February next year.

China Southern Airlines to start Beijing-Lagos flight via Dubai
Gulfnews.com - Dec. 19, 2006 - China Southern Airlines, the largest Chinese carrier, said yesterday it would launch thrice-weekly service from Beijing to Lagos, Nigeria, via Dubai. Beginning December 30, the airline will fly from Beijing to Lagos Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays using a new Airbus A330 with a two-class configuration of 24 in business and 240 in economy. (Click for full report.)

Air China to Launch Flight to South America

Air China will launch its first flight to Sao Paulo of Brazil via Madrid at 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning, marking the debut flight connecting China with South America. The Boeing 767-300 aircraft will be operating on the route. On Thursday and Sunday, the newly-launched flight will fly 12 hours and 45 minutes from Beijing to Madrid, then after 1.5 hours of stopover, it will reach Sao Paulo in 11 hours and 50 minutes. In recent years, the number of passengers between China and South America has been increasing. There were 53,000 passengers flying from China to Brazil last year, up 24 percent compared with the previous year.

Direct Flights Link Shanghai and New York

Xinhua News Agency Dec. 8, 2006 - China's Eastern Airlines will begin direct flights from Shanghai to New York on Friday. The maiden flight, MU587, will take off at 6:30 p.m. from Pudong Airport in Shanghai and land at 7:45 p.m. local time in New York. The airline will operate four direct flights from Shanghai to New York weekly and flights will be served by an Airbus 340-600 with a capacity of 400 passengers. According to the ticket sales, 90 percent of the tickets for the first flight have been bought. The new route will remove the need to travel via the cities of Tokyo, Seoul or Beijing flights. Shanghai is the second Chinese city after Beijing to offer direct flights to New York.

Air China to Launch Direct Beijing-New Delhi Flights
Xinhua News Agency Oct. 18, 2006 - Air China, the country's national carrier, will launch direct Beijing-New Delhi flights on Oct. 30. Air China said it will operate three flights from Beijing to New Delhi each week, using Boeing 767-200 aircraft. Flights will be scheduled on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The national carrier will launch a round-trip sales promotion through November. Return tickets will be priced at 3,880 yuan (US$485 U.S.).

Flight to Link Sanya, Saint Petersburg

Xinhua News, October 31, 2006 - Transaero Airlines, a Russian airline, on Monday launched maiden flights between Saint Petersburg, Russia's second city, and Sanya, in China's island resort province of Hainan. Flights are scheduled for every other Monday, leaving Saint Petersburg at 4:15 a.m. (Beijing Time) and arriving in Sanya at 3:05 p.m. the same day. It will depart Sanya at 5:05 p.m.The company already operates flights between Moscow and Sanya every Wednesday and Sunday, and plans to introduce a Moscow-Sanya-Guangzhou flight every Friday, according to Sanya Phoenix International Airport.  

China Southern to Open Flights Between Changsha, Seoul
Xinhua Sep. 14, 2006 - China Southern Airlines, one of the country's largest airways, will launch regular flights between the central city of Changsha and Seoul starting October, a company executive said Wednesday. The new service will offer five return flights a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays between Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province and Seoul of the Republic of Korea, said Xu Xiaolin, director of the market office of the Hunan branch of China Southern. China Southern plans to use Airbus 320 plane for the fights, with the flight number CZ3065/6.

 Beijing-Dubai Air Route Opens in September

CRIENGLISH.com August 25, 2006 - Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced in Shanghai recently it will begin daily flights from Beijing to Dubai starting September 1. It will provide a series of favorable services to promote this new air route. The Beijing-Dubai flight will be the second direct link to the Chinese mainland with the United Arab Emirates after a Shanghai-Dubai flight started operation about two and a half years ago. According to Emirates, passengers who will take this route to Dubai from September 1 to November 30 can buy their tickets for RMB 4500 for a round-trip flight (taxes and extra charge on fuel are excluded) before September 30. First-class passengers from Beijing will be awarded free accommodation for 3 nights at the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai. Those in business class can stay for two nights free.

E-ticket Invoice will Increase Online Sales
China Daily Apr. 14, 2006 - China's civil aviation authorities announced yesterday that invoices for payment and reimbursement of e-tickets will be trialed from June 1. For a long time e-ticket sales have been hindered in China because there were no invoices available for reimbursement. Official statistics show only 20 per cent of air tickets are sold in the form of e-tickets in China. To make air ticket purchasing more convenient for Chinese passengers and to cut costs, CAAC decided to support the development of e-tickets in the industry. (Click for full report.)

New Air Route to Cut Flying Time to Europe

China Daily, Apr. 12, 2006 - China will open a new air route for international traffic tomorrow, a move that could reduce flight times between China and Europe by an average of 30 minutes and save airlines US$30 million in fuel cost every year. (Click for full report.)

Huangshan Opens Airlines to ROK to Attract Tourists
Xinhua News, Mar. 24, 2006 - People in the Republic of Korea (ROK) will be able to come by non-stop flights to Huangshan, a popular scenic city in east China famous for its imposing Huangshan Mountain, as the city is scheduled to open airlines to the country this summer. It will be the first time for Huangshan airport to receive airlines from foreign countries.

China Southern Airlines to Open 3 Int'l Routes

Xinhua News, Mar. 21, 2006 - China Southern Airlines will launch three international routes on March 26 to link Shenyang, capital of northeast China's

Liaoning Province, with other foreign cities, according to sources with the company. The three routes are Shenyang-Guangzhou-Sydney, Shenyang-Guangzhou-Melbourne and Shenyang-Guangzhou-Singapore.  An official with the airlines said that the opening of the routes will further improve the international flight network in Northeast China, as well as providing more options for residents in Liaoning.  To better serve the "2006 World Horticulture Exposition" which will be staged in Shenyang, Southern Airlines plans to add more domestic flights linking Shenyang and other tourist cities.

 American Airlines will launch non-stop flight to China
Xinhua News, Feb. 28, 2006 - American Airlines, the world's largest airline company, will begin from early April this year to launch daily nonstop service to China, one of the world's fastest growing aviation markets. The first flight, AA289, will depart Chicago O'Hare International Airport at 11:05 a.m. on April 2 and arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 2:15 p.m. on April 3. The return flight of this route, AA288, will depart Shanghai at 4:25 p.m on April 3 and arrive in Chicago at 5:00 p.m. on the same date. (Click for full report)
 

China raises air crash compensation limit
China Daily, Mar. 1, 2006 - Families of air crash victims can now be compensated up to 400,000 yuan (US$48,000) each from airlines, according to a new regulation China's aviation authority issued yesterday. This upper limit is almost double the amount that victims' families received from the November 2004 air disaster when 54 people died in Baotou of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. China Eastern Airline agreed to pay each victim's family 211,000 yuan (US$25,400). Scheduled to take effect on March 28, the new regulation states that passengers on domestic flights can get up to US$48,000 according to the actual bodily injury, in addition to compensation from insurance companies. (Click for full report)
 

Emirates Airlines to Open Beijing-Dubai Flights
Xinhua News Feb. 20, 2006 - The United Arab Emirates Airlines will launch daily

non-stop flights between Beijing and Dubai in the next half year, the company's regional manager has said. The company hopes that more Chinese travelers will turn to Emirates Airlines in the future, according to Edwin Lau, Regional Manager for Greater China and North East Asia for the Dubai-based airlines. Emirates Airlines first launched a weekly cargo flight between Dubai and Shanghai on Sept. 15, 2002. Now, the number of cargo flights have reached six a week.

China Extends Jet Fuel Surcharge

Xinhua News, Feb. 18, 2006 -- China will extend the jet fuel surcharge, the

National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's economic watchdog, announced Friday. The renewal has no time limit and the surcharge will remain unchanged at 20-40 yuan per passenger on domestic routes, depending on distance, the NDRC said. China extended the surcharge last November due to the rocketing international oil prices.

Dragonair to Launch HK-Shenyang Direct Services

Xinhua News, Feb. 8, 2006 - Dragonair is to launch direct services between Hong

Kong and Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning Province in northeast China, as of March 30. Dragonair is a Hong Kong-based airline. Its passenger network covers 31 destinations across the Asia-Pacific region.

China to Add 8,400 Flights Around Spring Festival

Xinhua News, Jan. 11, 2006 - China's civil aviation regulator has given the green light for  eight airlines to add a combined 8,400 flights around the Spring Festival, China's lunar New Year, in an effort to relieve expected huge passenger flow. The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) predicted that the Chinese would make more than 2 billion trips during that Spring Festival, which falls on Jan. 29 this year, andflights will be increased from Jan. 14 to Feb. 22. (Click for full report)

Non-stop Flights to Toronto Planned

Shanghai Daily Jan. 24, 2006 - Air Canada will launch non-stop flights between Toronto and Shanghai on June 16. The airline will operate three non-stop flights

per week between Toronto and Shanghai, complementing its Toronto-Beijing non-stop service, which began last June. With an elapsed time of 14 hours 45 minutes westbound and 13 hours 40 minutes eastbound, the new flight saves travelers three hours in each direction compared to flights that stop over in Vancouver. Shanghai-bound flights will depart Toronto at 10:15am on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and arrive in Shanghai at 1pm the next day. Toronto-bound flights will leave Shanghai at 2:45pm on Monday, Thursday and Saturday and arrive in Toronto at 4:25pm the same day.

Shaanxi Adds 8 Int'l Air Routes

Xinhua News, Jan. 7, 2006 - Northwest China's Shaanxi Province on Friday started to operate eight more international air routes to eight cities in Europe, America and Asia. The air routes link the ancient Chinese capital with Paris,

London, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and New Delhi and will be operated by the East China Airline, based in Shanghai. According to the aviation firm, all of the new air routes need to fly from Xi'an to Shanghai for a brief stop before heading for their destination cities. So far, Xi'an has opened a total of 25 international air routes, ranking as the country's fourth after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. It is also the largest air traffic base in western China.

Sichuan plans nonstop flights to US, Europe
Xinhuanet, Dec. 29, 2005 - Southwest China's Sichuan Province, the home of a series of world-known tourist destinations, plans to open nonstop flights to the

United States and some European nations, including France, Germany, Britain and Russia, in the coming two years. The move will help attract more tourists from abroad to Sichuan,the provincial tourism bureau believed. By 2010, the province plans to annually receive 2 million visitors, the bureau said. To achieve the goal, the bureau will design better itineraries in partnership with its peers from Sichuan's neighboring provincesand regions. Sichuan boasts 89 tourist sites approved by the State Council or the provincial government. Four of them, namely Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Dujiang Weir and Mount Emei, are included in UNESCO's world natural and cultural heritage list.

China to Open Direct Air Route to Brazil

Xinhua News, Dec. 19, 2005 - China will open the country's first direct air route to South America, from Beijing to Sao Paulo of Brazil, next month. The route will be

operated through code-sharing cooperation by Air China and Varig, Brazilian's national carrier. Air China will fly from Beijing to Frankfurt, while Varig will fly from Frankfurt to Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil. The time of travel from Beijing to

Sao Paulo will be 27 hours, including transferring. The route has been approved by Chinese and Brazilian governments and is still waiting for approval from German, said Cesar Yu, China's country manager of Varig. He said China and Brazil are developing nations, with economic and trade cooperation much closer in recent years. Brazil also became the tourist destination nation for China. The new route will promote economic, cultural, tourist and sports exchanges between the two nations.

Air Fuel Surcharge Extended
China Internet Information Center Nov. 26, 2005 - Fuel surcharges imposed on domestic flights has been extended, according to a circular issued recently by the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China

(CAAC), the industry watchdog. The original deadline was December 31, 2005.Tickets for flights in 2006 issued before this new announcement was made are exempt. To address the issue of rising jet fuel prices, domestic carriers were allowed to introduce fuel surcharges on internal flights beginning August 1 until the end of the year. This was announced in a document jointly released by the CAAC and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) at the end of July. An additional 20 yuan (US$2.46) will be charged to ticket prices for distances less than 800 kilometers, or 40 yuan (US$4.93) for distances 800 kilometers or more. (Click for full report)

Foreign Stewardesses Enlisted as Attraction
Xinhua News, Oct. 28, 2005 - Chinese airlines have enlisted more than 300 stewardesses from other countries to provide better service for foreign travelers. Air China, the national carrier, has sent a team to Germany for recruiting the first batch of German stewardesses. If everything goes on smoothly, the German stewardesses will serve customers in Beijing at the end of this year, Beijing Daily said on Thursday. Seventeen stewardesses from India arrived in Shanghai last week to join China Eastern Airlines. Statistics showed that some 330 foreign stewardesses now work for Chinese airlines. The foreign stewardesses are required to speak Chinese. It is reported that the income of foreign stewardesses doubles that of domestic stewardesses.

Sichuan Airlines to Launch Maiden Flight to Tibet

Xinhua News Aug. 19, 2005 - Sichuan Airlines Co., Ltd. announced it will launch its maiden non-stop flight to Lhasa, capital of Tibet Autonomous Region on Saturday. An official with the airlines based in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, said it launched a test flight from Chengdu to Lhasa on Tuesday. The non-stop flight between the two cities will be once every day, the official said. Sichuan Airlines has bought six A319s from the European-based Airbus for 2.3 billion yuan (US$283.6 million) to fly the Chengdu-Lhasa route. The planes, in A320 series, are tailored for plateaus. To make the aircraft adapted to weather conditions on the Tibetan Plateau, the company spent some 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) on refitting each of the imported A319s.
 

Dalian Opens 10 New Int'l Air Routes

Xinhua News Agency, July 25, 2005 - Northeast China's port city of Dalian opened 10 more international air routes Saturday to the cities in Europe, America, Oceania and Asia via Shanghai. The flights, all run by China Eastern Airlines, links the tourist, scenic coastal city in northeastern Liaoning Province to London, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Melbourne, Sidney, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Delhi, and Phuket in Thailand, according to the airlines. Passengers to take the flights could go through custom inspection in Shanghai, but their their luggage can be consigned in Dalian, according to the Zhoushuizi Airport in Dalian. China Eastern Airline has also signed a cooperation agreement with the Dalian municipal government to help turn city into a transportation hub in northeast Asia, according to the airlines.

China's 1st low-cost airline goes into operation
Chinanews.cn, July 18, 2005 - Private low-cost carrier Spring Airlines launched its maiden flight on Monday, becoming the newest player in China's increasingly modern travel industry. Spring is one of private airlines entering the Chinese market following the launch of China's first private airline of the modern era, Okay Airways Co., in March. Like Okay, Spring avoids the more heavily traveled routes such as Beijing-Shanghai, focussing on niche markets for tourists and business travelers. (full coverage)

Air France Serves Beijing Twice Daily

TTG June 17, 2005 - Air France has added an extra daily flight to Beijing this week. Operated on Boeing B777-300 aircraft with seating capacity of 310, the added frequency makes Air France the first European airline to serve Beijing twice daily. The new flight departs Paris at 18.55, reaching Beijing at 10.30 the next day. The return flight leaves Beijing at 13.15, reaching Paris at 17.40 the same day.

Sri Lankan Airlines begins Colombo-Beijing services
Xinhuanet, China, June 15, 2005 - Sri Lankan Airlines commenced thrice-weekly services between Colombo and Beijing on Wednesday, providing new opportunities for business and leisure travelers between the two Asian countries... (Click for details)

British Airways launches London-Shanghai direct passenger flight
Xinhuanet, June 2, 2005 - A Boeing 777 passenger plane of the British Airways landed at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport Thursday morning, marking the official operation of the air route between London and Shanghai. (full coverage)

Direct flight link to be introduced between Thai Phuket, Chinese Hainan
Xinhuanet, China,  May 27, 2005 - The first immigrants from China's island province Hainan to arrive in Thailand's southern resort province of Phuket had to make the arduous journey by sea, but soon visitors from Chinese Hainan province will be able to visit Phuket much more easily, thanks to the introduction of a direct flight link. (full report)

Spanish airline to launch direct flight to China
Xinhuanet, China, May 25, 2005 - Another Spanish airline company announced Wednesday it will launch direct passenger flights from Madrid to China's Beijing and Shanghai as of July 4. (full report)

Continental Airlines Opens New Route To China
CriEnglish.com May 25, 2005 America's 6th largest airline Company Continental Airlines is announcing the start of a new daily nonstop service on June 16 between Beijing and New York. It's the first nonstop flight route between Beijing and New York operated by a US Airline. However Continental is not the first US Airline to operate flights between China and the US. As China's economy grows, competition has also intensified between US airlines to grab a bigger share of the Chinese market.

Non-stop flights launched between Toronto and Beijing
Xinhua News, May 11, 2005 -- Air Canada, one of the world's largest airlines, said yesterday it will launch non-stop flights between Beijing and Toronto from June 3.  They will be the first scheduled flight directly connecting China's mainland with eastern Canada. Air Canada will offer three flights each week in June, increasing to four a week in July. (full report)

ROK to open air route to China's far west
People's Daily, China April 8, 2005 - The Korean Air Lines will open a direct air route linking Seoul of the Republic of Korea with Urumqi, capital of China's westernmost Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to sources with the ROK embassy to China. The new air route is expected to open in mid-April. Flights will make the trip from Seoul to Urumqi every Tuesday and Thursday and return every Wednesday and Friday. The General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) has approved the ROK application for opening the new route. The weekly flight will use Airbus A330, said a CAAC official. Periodic flights had been arranged between the two cities since 2004.

Direct Flight to Link Sao Paulo to Beijing
CRI.com April 1 2005 - Brazil is opening her arms to Chinese tourists later this year. The Brazilian Tourism Administration says package trips for Chinese tourists will be available as soon as direct air routes open between China and Brazil. According to Brazilian Airlines, direct flights between Sao Paulo and Beijing will start operating around September this year. It is estimated that the opening of the new direct air link will bring 200,000 Chinese travelers to Brazil every year. Meanwhile, Cuba has also opened up to Chinese tour groups and some agencies are attempting develop trips that stop in this Caribbean country and Brazil. However, due with the long distance in between, it is almost impossible to arrange tours covering both places. According to the agencies, a single tour to Brazil costs about 20,000 yuan (US$2,400). Also, the 11th Session of the UN Conference on Trade and Development will open in Sao Paulo this year, and is expected make Brazil a popular place for Chinese business tourism.

Singapore Airlines to increase flights to Beijing
Xinhuanet, Mar. 28, 2005 - Singapore Airlines (SIA) will increase one flight between Singapore and Beijing everyday from June 1 this year, announced the carrier on Monday. This will add another 288 seats to SIA's present twice-daily flights, representing an increase of 50 percent in capacity, according to a statement by the airlines. Coded SQ822, the Boeing 777-200 aircraft will depart Singapore at 16:50 p.m. and arrive in Beijing's Capital International Airport six hours later, and the return flight, SQ821, will leave Beijing at 23:55 p.m. and arrive in Singapore at 06:05 a.m. the next morning. With this new flight, SIA and its "regional wing" SilkAir will operate 120 flights every week to the main cities in China, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Xiamen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Fuzhou and Kunming.

Non-stop Flight from Shanghai to Lhasa
Xinhua News, Mar. 26, 2005 - Travelers to Tibet in southwest China will no longer have to have a stopover at Chengdu Airport as the China Eastern Airlines will begin a non-stop flight next year from Shanghai to Lhasa, capital of Tibet. A company official said Saturday the Shanghai-headquartered China Eastern had signed an agreement with aircraft giant Airbus to buy five Airbus A319s which are suitable for the flight. The official did not disclose when the non-stop flight could be available between Shanghai and Lhasa, but said the new Airbus planes would be delivered beginning February 2006 and through July 2007.

Nonstop Flight Between Guangzhou, Frankfurt

Shenzhen Daily Mar. 29, 2005 - The first nonstop flight from Guangzhou to Frankfurt in Germany was scheduled to depart Monday night. The flight, launched by Lufthansa Airlines, would reduce the travel time between the two cities by five hours, the Southern Metropolitan News reported. Previously, flights between Guangzhou and Frankfurt took at least 17 hours, including a stopover in Shanghai or Beijing. The nonstop flight, scheduled to depart Guangzhou at 11:30 p.m. Monday, was due to arrive in Frankfurt at about 6:05 a.m. local time the next morning, the report said. The return flight was scheduled to depart

 Frankfurt at 10:10 p.m. local time, arriving in Guangzhou at 3:45 p.m. Beijing time the next day. The flight would be operated by Lufthansa's state-of-the-art Airbus A340-600 aircraft, which featured new business class with the longest flat seat/bed in its class worldwide, the airline company said. The introduction of the new flight took the number of international flights departing Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport to 29, the report said. More flights to foreign destinations such as Tokyo and Nagoya in Japan would start operating soon, the report said. The airport is aiming to have 40 international flights departing Guangzhou by the end of this year.

Direct flights between Bangladesh, China to start
China Daily, April 8, 2005 - An agreement clearing the way for the first direct flights between China and Bangladesh was signed as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Dhaka on the second leg of his south Asian tour. (full report)

New Air Route from ROK to East China

China Daily, April 8, 2005 - Chinese customs officials say they have seen growing tourism and trade between Weihai in east China's Shandong Province and Inchon of the Republic of Korea (ROK) since a new air route opened between two cities last week. The route connecting Weihai, a small seaside city, and Inchon in northwestern ROK, opened on March 27. Twelve inbound and outbound flights a week are operated by Air China, Shandong Airlines and Korean Aero Service Co., Ltd., said customs officials in Qingdao, a port on China's east coast. By March 31, 10 flights had flown the 45-minute, 450-kilometer route, carrying 724 inbound and outbound passengers and 10 ROK-bound shipments worth more than 20,000 US dollars in total, according to the Qingdao customs. According to statistics provided by the Weihai municipal government, in 2004, 120,000 trips were made from ROK to China through Weihai. Businessmen and tourists from Weihai made 50,000 trips to ROK. ROK has been the number one trade partner of Shandong Province for three consecutive years and trade with ROK makes up more than 20 percent of the province's total. In 2004, two-way trade between Shandong and ROK added up to 12.62 billion US dollars, up 30.9 percent from the previous year.

Air Canada to Fly non-stop from Toronto to Beijing

Xinhua News March 4, 2005 - Air Canada will launch a non-stop flight from Canada's Toronto to China's capital Beijing from June 2, the company said. It will be the first non-stop air route linking eastern part of Canada to China's mainland, the company said. The Beijing-Toronto flight will take 13 hours, four hours less than the former route via Vancouver. The opening of the new route will provide more choices to passengers from China to South America, as the flight via Toronto could take four to ten hours less than flying through European countries. The flight will be served by A340-300 passenger airplane. On every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, flight AC031 will take off from Toronto at 10:00 a.m. local time and on every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, flight AC032 will fly from Beijing at 1:20 p.m. Beijing time. As the largest air carrier between Canada and China, Air Canada already has non-stop air routes from Shanghai and Beijing to Vancouver, on Canada's west coast.

Flight from HK to Xiamen Launches

Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2005 - Cathay Pacific Airways celebrated Monday the success of its first passenger service to Xiamen. Flight CX350 departed Hong Kong on schedule at 10:05 a.m. Monday and returned from Xiamen at 13:45 p.m. The flight's arrival marked an important milestone in Cathay Pacific's ongoing effort to strengthen Hong Kong as a global hub and gateway to the Chinese mainland, said a release of Cathay Pacific Airways. Xiamen has long held strong overseas connections. With the new services to the city, Cathay Pacific offers passengers greater choice in providing same-carrier connections through Hong Kong to points across the region and up to 90 destinations around the world, it said.

Air Canada to Fly non-stop from Toronto to Beijing

Xinhua News March 4, 2005 - Air Canada will launch a non-stop flight from Canada's Toronto to China's capital Beijing from June 2, the company said. It will be the first non-stop air route linking eastern part of Canada to China's mainland, the company said. The Beijing-Toronto flight will take 13 hours, four hours less than the former route via Vancouver. The opening of the new route will provide more choices to passengers from China to South America, as the flight via Toronto could take four to ten hours less than flying through European countries. The flight will be served by A340-300 passenger airplane. On every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, flight AC031 will take off from Toronto at 10:00 a.m. local time and on every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, flight AC032 will fly from Beijing at 1:20 p.m. Beijing time. As the largest air carrier between Canada and China, Air Canada already has non-stop air routes from Shanghai and Beijing to Vancouver, on Canada's west coast.

China's is preparing to start its first private budget airline
International Herald Tribune, France, March 1, 2005 - In the trail of Southwest Airlines, Easyjet, Ryanair, and other cut-price carriers that have transformed air travel, comes Okay Airways, China's first attempt at a privately owned, low-fare airline. (full report)

BA to Increase Capacity in China
Xinhua News, Jan. 31, 2005 - On Sunday, British Airways (BA) announced in Beijing that it plans to boost its share of China's market this year. It will increase its Beijing-London service from five to six flights a week and its Hong Kong-London weekly service from 17 to 21 from June. It has also approached the government for approval to launch flights from London Heathrow to Shanghai this year, said Andrew Cahn, BA's director of Government and Industry Affairs. The tourism agreement signed last Friday allowing tourist groups to visit the UK is expected to help initiate a wave of interest in it as a tourist destination. Tim Ramage, General Manager of British Airways China, said that currently there are more than 80,000 passengers flying between China's mainland and the UK every year. The company expects an annual increase of 15 to 20 percent of travelers in the coming years.

CAL to kick off New Year's flights
Taipei Times Jan. 19, 2005 - VIRGIN TRIP: The Taiwanese carrier will make the first cross-strait holiday voyage -- albeit routed out of its way via Hong Kong airspace -- from Taipei to Beijing (full coverage)

Shenzhen Opens New Flight to Malaysia
Shenzheni Daily January 18, 2005 - Round-trip flights will operate three times a week between Shenzhen and Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, from Tuesday. It is Shenzhen Airlines’ first international passenger route. The flights take off from Shenzhen at 9:45 a.m. and arrive at Kuala Lumpur at 1:05 p.m. local time Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Return flights on the same days depart Kuala Lumpur at 2:05 p.m. local time reaching Shenzhen at 5:30 p.m.

Foreign Airlines Face Safety Checks
China Daily Dec. 17, 2004 - Starting next year, foreign airlines that apply to conduct passenger or cargo business in China must be certified by regional civil aviation authorities before doing business. Those already operating in the country must be certified before 2007. (full coverage)

Weihai to Open to Foreign Planes
Xinhua News, Dec. 13, 2004 - Weihai, a port city in east China's Shandong Province, will soon be opened to foreign planes under the approval of the State Council, China's top governing body.The move creates a new outlet at the Bohai Bay Rim and plays an important role in promoting economic and trade cooperation specifically between China and the Republic of Korea and Japan, an official with the Shandong provincial port office said.With a flight distance of 450 km between Weihai and Seoul, the Chinese port city is a hot spot of investment for ROK businessmen. Weihai has air connections with about a dozen Chinese cities.To facilitate opening of the port, the terminal building of the Weihai international airport has undergone an upgrading construction. The airport's communications, navigation and logistic supply systems are suitable for opening.

Paper-made air ticket to be cancelled
Xinhuanet, Nov. 22, 2004 - China is working hard to move from paper to electronic air tickets before 2007. The test work is going smoothly and China might reach its goal ahead of the date set by the International Air Transport Association, China Radio International reported Sunday. The association recently proposed to cancel paper tickets around the world before 2007. A Chinese expert says the change is not difficult, and only requires a move of customers' personal information from paper tickets to computers. For passengers, E-tickets are more convenient and can be picked up upon arrival at the airport, rather than days or weeks in advance.

More Flights on Shanghai-Copenhagen Air Route
Scandinavian Airlines announced on Tuesday that it would increase flights running from Shanghai to Copenhagen in Denmark from three to six per week as from October 31. Currently, flights shuttle between the two cities on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Under the new schedule, flights are available every day, except Thursday. The decision was made because the occupancy rate of the flights has gone up by 30 to 40 percent since September 1 when Northern Europe was opened as a tourism destination to Chinese citizens. Northern Europe appeals to Chinese tourists because of its unique natural landscape and fairy tales of Denmark. Scandinavian Airlines, jointly founded by Norway, Denmark and Sweden in 1946, is now the fourth largest airway in Europe. Before SAS started to operate direct flights from Shanghai to Northern Europe on March 29 this year, quite a number of Chinese tourists chose to travel Northern Europe via Hong Kong or Singapore.

Finnair Starts Direct Flights to Guangzhou
News Guang Dong Nov.19, 2004 - Finnish airline Finnair Oyj said Wednesday it will start direct flights from Helsinki to Guangzhou in September, adding to its routes to China and Japan. Finnair said it would offer three flights a week to the southern Chinese city. "Launching the Guangzhou route is a natural continuation of our Asian strategy. Finnair has been systematically moving the focus of its long-haul traffic to Asia since 2000," said Hannu Sundberg, Finnair's vice president for sales in Europe and Asia. "Guangzhou is already our fourth destination in China besides Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong." Finnair will fly to Guangzhou on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays and from Guangzhou on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The flight time is expected to be about 10 hours. Founded in 1923, Finnair is one of the world's oldest airlines. It is 58 percent government-owned, and flies to 50 destinations, including 24 in Europe, with a fleet of 60 aircraft. Finnair is a member of the OneWorld alliance which includes American Airlines and British Airways.

Air Zimbabwe to Open Weekly Flights Between Beijing, Harare
People's Daily Online Nov. 17, 2004 - Air Zimbabwe is slated to launch weekly flights between Beijing and Harare transferring via Singapore on November 24, the first air links between China and Zimbabwe. The flight, a Boeing 767-200, will take off from Harare every Tuesday and Saturday and arrives at Beijing at 15:30 the same day. Then it leaves Beijing at 20:00 every Wednesday and Sunday. Total flying time is around 14 hours. Zimbabwe was approved to be tourism destination for Chinese tourists in June and Chinese travel agencies can organize group tourists from December 15. The new route is just in time to meet the growing tourism demand, said Karikoga Kaseke, Zimbabwean permanent secretary of Transport and Communications.