Air China’s main hubs are Beijing Capital International Airport, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport, with other focus cities at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, Tianjin Binhai International Airport and Hohhot Baita International Airport. If you want to make your trip about china travel, you can take China Flights, these are especially available for you.
Air China currently flies to approximately 120 destinations; the most destinations from its own Beijing hub. The airline flew 41.28 million passengers in 2009, with a passenger load factor of 76.53%. Results improved with an increase of 14.23% from 36.14 million in 2008. Its turnover was recorded to be 51.39 RMB, which was a decrease of 2.86% from 2008. It is the 5th largest airline in Asia, 5th largest in the world in terms of domestic cargo traffic and 18th largest airline in the world in terms of fleet size.
Do you know the beginning of the Air China?
Air China was established on July 1, 1988. Its formation was a result of the government’s decision to split the operating divisions of Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) into separate airlines. The CAAC was restructured in late 1987 and divided into six airlines, namely Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, China Northern, China Southwest, and China Northwest. Air China, based in Beijing, was given chief responsibility for intercontinental flights, and took over the CAAC’s long haul aircraft (Boeing 747s, 767s, and 707s, as well as medium-haul 737s) and routes when it was granted its autonomy on July 1, 1988.
At the time of its launch 1988, Air China had 6,000 employees and served 31 international and 30 domestic destinations. It was China’s largest airline company and the national flag carrier. In 1989, Air China posted a net profit of $106 million on revenues of $383 million. In that same year, Air China entered a joint venture with Lufthansa, which provided 40 percent of the capital, or $220 million, to create the Beijing Aircraft Maintenance Center. It specialized in the upkeep of the Boeing aircraft that comprised Air China’s fleet. The venture was expanded with another $218 million.
The Consolidate period
In mid-2000, the CAAC repeated earlier calls for a consolidation of the ten airlines it controlled into three. (Air China, China Southern, and China Eastern were to each acquire the smaller airlines.) However, the CAAC blocked a proposed merger in September 2000 between Air China and China Southern on anti-competitive grounds.
In January 2001, the CAAC’s ten airlines announced they had agreed on a merger plan. Air China was to acquire China Southwest Airlines; before the acquisition, Air China was the country’s fourth strongest domestic airline. This was to create a group with assets of ¥n56 billion (HK$ 52.5 billion), including 118 aircraft. On October 28, 2002, Air China consolidated with China National Aviation Corporation and China Southwest Airlines.
During 2004, Air China absorbed Zhejiang Airlines (a subsidiary of CNAC). On December 15, 2004 the company listed its shares on the Hong Kong and London Stock Exchanges. Air China has shareholdings in Air China Cargo (51%), Air Macau (51%, soon to be 80.9%) and also holds majority shares of Shandong Airlines. On August 17, 2009, a joint announcement revealed a new shareholding structure in which Air China acquire a 29.99% stake in Cathay Pacific, while the latter will own 18.09% of the former.
Air China is the largest airline in China with its hub in Beijing. So if you can Travel to Beijing, you can have a trip on there. Air China flies to more than 71 destinations within China as well as to destinations in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Air China is a member of the Star Alliance. The miles you earn on Air China can be accrued in Mileage Plus. The flight miles you earn qualify toward your elite status in Mileage Plus.
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