Air China expands routes amid aviation rebound

Air China, the nation's flagship carrier, unveiled several major updates to its flight network on Thursday, signaling a strong push to meet growing demand amid China's ongoing civil aviation development and steady economic recovery.

Internationally, the airline will launch new routes from Beijing to Cairo and Toronto during the summer and autumn seasons. Additional destinations including Vladivostok and Irkutsk will also be added to the network from the capital. A new route from Beijing Daxing International Airport to Seoul will begin service, while flights from Chengdu to Tokyo and Paris are set to resume, expanding international travel options.

In a move to bolster connectivity with Central Asia, Air China will launch several new routes in June and July, including Beijing to Tashkent, Urumqi to Tashkent, and Beijing to Almaty. The new services are expected to support China's Belt and Road Initiative and promote stronger international cooperation.

On the domestic front, Air China will introduce five new routes: Beijing to Altay, Beijing to Dalian-Suifenhe, Wenzhou to Nanchong, Chongqing to Kashgar, and Wuhan to Lanzhou-Dunhuang. The airline also plans to increase the frequency of flights between major cities and second- and third-tier destinations to accommodate both business and leisure travel.

Beyond route expansion, Air China announced several upgrades to its passenger services. Its new "Newborn Traveler Plan" targets infant and child passengers, offering benefits such as ticket discounts, mileage accrual, and added services. The "Silver Age Plan", developed in partnership with travel agencies, provides customized travel products for senior citizens to ensure a seamless, stress-free journey.

China's civil aviation sector posted steady growth in the first quarter of this year. According to the Ministry of Transport, the industry handled 190 million passenger trips from January to March, up 4.9 percent year-on-year.

During the Spring Festival holiday, which lasted eight days, the sector transported 18.24 million passenger trips—an increase of 2.9 percent compared with the same period last year. The average number of daily international passenger flights reached 1,888, marking a 24.6 percent increase from the same period last year and reaching 86.6 percent of the daily average level recorded in 2019.