China’s Flag Carrier, Air China, Halts Flights To North Korea

China’s flag carrier, Air China, halted flights from Beijing to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, from late on Friday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

It did not say why the flights, which operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, were being suspended.

Air China is the only Chinese airline that provides flights to North Korea.

The last flight between the two cities took place on Friday, with the return flight to Beijing arriving in the early evening, the broadcaster said.

Air China had been operating three weekly round-trip flights between Chinese and North Korean capital cities, but service had become sporadic in recent months.

Air China began regular flights between the two countries in 2008 but the flights were frequently cancelled because of unspecified problems.

Travelers Can Now Fly Direct (Non-Stop) Between Beijing & Montréal

Earlier this year, Air Canada and Air China made a major announcement that brought Montréal closer to Asia: a direct flight between Montréal and Beijing. Although currently operated by Air China, tickets will also be offered through Air Canada’s booking portal as the first step of a broader partnership. The inaugural flight takes to the skies on September 29 (2015).

SISTER PACT

The new route goes beyond simply providing more options for travelers. The local airport authority (formally known as Aéroports de Montréal) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Beijing Capital International Airport Co. Ltd. (BCIA) to establish of a “sister airport” partnership. With this agreement, the two airport authorities will strengthen co-operation and share best practices. Sounds like a win-win!

BEIJING’LE BELLE ROCK!

This new Montréal-Beijing route is great for a variety of factors. Here are five of our tops reasons why the route is a game changer.

Chinese tourist spending is beyond big. According to a report from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, 174 million Chinese tourists will spend a record $264 billion by 2019. More than ever, Montréal will be recognized as a destination for accessible and direct tourism. That means huge economic potential for the city.

More Montréal meetings. A direct flight from China to Montréal will inevitably increase the likelihood of Chinese companies selecting our city as a strategic meeting destination. Montréal makes an ideal middle ground (geographically and politically) for international stakeholders from Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Opportunities for Montréal startups. Direct flights mean easier access, and easier access means more business opportunities. Companies in the city will be able to use the connection with Beijing as a gateway for all their activities in Asia. We’re curious to see how the new route will impact our already-booming startup scene — stay tuned!

Family ties. With over 100,000 Chinese Canadians living in the province of Québec, the direct route makes it easier than ever to connect with family and friends in China.

Weekends in Beijing. As of 2013, tourists from 45 countries (including Canada) are permitted a 72-hour visa-free stay in Beijing. A direct flight means Montréalers travelling for either business or leisure can literally take a three-day weekend in Beijing without the hassle of time-crunching layovers. That means less time in transit and more time on the ground for local experiences.

You Can Book A Flight From NYC To Asia Right Now For Under $600

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Visit Bangkok, Thailand for under $500

Air China is offering bargains on many popular routes between the United States and Asia.

Great news! If you've been considering a trip to Asia this fall, Air China just unveiled a round of airfare deals from major cities in the United States. Some of those routes include Los Angeles to Hong Kong for $564, Los Angeles to Bangkok for $475, San Francisco to New Delhi for $415, San Francisco to Seoul for $631, and New York City to Taipei for $607.

Source: www.cntraveler.com

Air China Launches Third Daily Nonstop Los Angeles - Beijing Service

Air China 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 (CA 887) at 9 a.m. PDT today. China’s national flag carrier is also celebrating today 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.

“The increase in connectivity between Los Angeles and Beijing offers travelers more flexibility and convenient options. More important, it will increase the bilateral trade between the USA and China and increase cultural ties between the world’s two largest economies,” Dr. Zhihang Chi, Air China’s Vice President for North America, stated.

Every daily round-trip international flight on a wide-body aircraft at LAX generates $623 million annually. It also provides 3,120 local jobs to the regional economy, according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.

All of Air China’s three Los Angeles (LAX)-Beijing (PEK) daily nonstop services are operated by the new generation B777-300ER. Air China is the only airline with a nonstop service between these two cities.

Featuring state of the art green technology, the B777-300ER delivers better fuel burn performance and is much quieter than any other aircraft. With a spacious three-cabin interior, ambient lighting and enhanced entertainment system, the B777-300ER provides transpacific passengers with a smooth, comfortable experience. Air China’s triple seven 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 demand.

Please refer to the chart below for details of Air China’s Los Angeles-Beijing services. Note: This is for reference only and the schedule may be subject to change. All times are local. *+1 = Next Day.

PEK-LAX CA887 12:00 9:00 B777-300 Daily
LAX-PEK CA888 11:30 15:10+1* B777-300 Daily
PEK-LAX CA987 15:00 12:00 B777-300 Daily
LAX-PEK CA988 14:20 18:00+1* B777-300 Daily
PEK-LAX CA983 21:00 18:00 B777-300 Daily
LAX-PEK CA984 1:40 05:20+1* B777-300 Daily

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 Sept. 29, 2015, Air China will launch the three times weekly nonstop service between Beijing and Montreal. 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.