Air China Announces the Start of its Beijing-Montreal-Havana Service in Beijing

BEIJING, Dec. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 27, 2015, Air China announced at a ceremony held at T3 of Beijing Capital International Airport that it would start China's first route to Cuba. The inaugural flight will depart from Beijing for Havana, the capital of Cuba, with a stopover in Montreal. In attendance were distinguished guests from the Cuban Embassy in China, Beijing Capital International Airport and Air China.

At the launch ceremony, Cuba Mr. Alberto Blanco extended his warm and deep congratulations on the start of the Beijing-Havana service and expressed the hope that this first ever route will benefit the two peoples and contribute to the social and economic development of the two countries.

Air China Vice Chairman Ms. Wang Yinxiang said in her speech that in recent years, the economic and trade ties between China and Cuba have become increasingly closer. The Beijing-Montreal-Havana service has filled a longstanding gap in the aviation market between China and Cuba and the Caribbean, and will further promote the economic, trade, cultural and tourism development of the two regions, and offer more convenient options for travelers.

In 2015, Air China has started 29 international routes, and now the carrier's route network has been expanded to all the six continents of the world. The Beijing-Montreal-Havana service represents an important move of the carrier to continuously expand its global route network and cement its presence in the Americas. Currently, Air China serves 10 destinations in Americas including New York (J. F. Kennedy Airport, Newark Airport), Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Vancouver, Montreal, Hawaii, Havana and Sao Paulo. The carrier's route network now covers the east and west coasts of the United States and Canada and has extended to South America and the Caribbean.

About the Flights

The flights CA879/CA880 are operated three times a week on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. The outbound flight departs from Beijing at 14:00 and arrives in Montreal at 16:20 and at Havana at 20:15. The inbound flight departs from Havana at 09:00, arrives in Montreal at 14:30 and in Beijing at 17:30 the following day. The flights are operated with Boeing 777-300ER, an aircraft type quite popular with the world's business travelers.

About Air China

Air China is China's only national flag carrier and a member carrier of the world's largest airline network - Star Alliance.

By Nov 2015, 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 353 routes, including 97 international routes, 14 regional routes and 242 domestic routes. It serves 171 cities in 38 countries and regions, including 62 international cities, 3 regional cities and 106 domestic cities. Every week, Air China offers over 1.47 million seats on over 7700 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.

PhoenixMiles, Air China's customer loyalty program created in 1994, is Asia's only frequent flyer program shared by a number of carriers.

Air China's customer service philosophy revolves around four elements: credibility, convenience, comfort, and choice. Hard work over the years has resulted in a tremendous increase in Air China's brand value. In 2013, Air China ranked again as one of the world's top 500 brands with a brand value of RMB 91.899 billion, and was the only Chinese carrier on the World Brands 500 list.
For more, visit Air China's official website www.airchina.com or call Air China's hotline 95583.

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SOURCE Air China