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Air China plans 2011 expansion into region

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Air China, China’s national flag carrier and a Star Alliance member, is looking to expand it services into the Middle East by next year.

The airline currently operates four weekly flights from Beijing to Dubai.  “We are currently witnessing an 85 per cent load factor in our economy class and 50 per cent in business class.  Demand has been strong despite the large number of regional and Chinese airlines including China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and China Eastern operating on the same route,” says Wang Zhiyong, general manager for Air China in the UAE.

Since March 29 the airline is offering a new schedule on its Beijing-Dubai sector, with flights departing Dubai at 12.10 am from 3.30 am.

The return flight will depart Beijing at 5.40 pm, arriving in Dubai at 10.20 pm.

“We plan to increase the frequency on this route next year, after we take delivery of the new aircraft we have on order” said Zhiyong. Air China currently has 20 Airbus 330s, 15 Boeing 777s and 30 737s on order, to be delivered beginning next year.

The airline is hoping to add Iran to its network in the region from next year.

Air China also offers codeshare flights with Qatar Airways from Shanghai and Beijing into Doha, with Egypt Air to Cairo and with Turkish Airlines to Istanbul. Its admission to the Star Alliance network now gives passengers flying from Beijing access to a network of 916 destinations in 160 countries.

The airline has won numerous accolades in the industry. In December of 2009, it was honoured as one of the Top 500 brands by the World Brand Lab with a brand value of RMB31.723 billion ($4.6 billion), this is the third time the carrier has been ranked among the world’s most respected companies and it was also voted as one of the top 60 Most Influential Brands of the Republic.

Air China has also just rolled out a series of package tours to Beijing and Shanghai, beginning at three nights and four days to Beijing at Dh2,999 ($816)  plus taxes. The rate is inclusive of airfare, four-star hotel accommodation with breakfast and two days of sightseeing.

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