Air China to Connect Athens with Beijing

Air China to Connect Athens with Beijing

September 17, 2007

    BEIJING, Sept. 17 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The Chinese
flag carrier Air China will launch a new service from
Athens to Beijing, starting from November 28th, 2007. The
new route will connect the capitals of the two countries:
Greece and China. 

    The service is conducted by Boeing 767 twice a week via
Dubai. Every Wednesdays and Sundays, the outbound flight
(CA943) departs from Beijing at 8:40 p.m., arriving in
Athens at 5:50 a.m. the following day and includes a one
and a half hour stop in Dubai. The return flight (CA944)
will be offered on Mondays and Thursdays, departs from
Athens at 9:30 a.m., stops in Dubai for one hour and forty
minutes and arrives in Beijing the following day at 5:20
a.m. (all local times). 

    "With the new service, Air China will bring
significant convenience to passengers between China and
Greece. It will also facilitate the commercial, political
and cultural communications of the two countries."
said Mrs. Zhang Lan, Senior Vice President of Air China,
"The launch of the new service will allow Chinese
passengers fast and efficient access to Athens, a country
integrating historical culture and natural beautiful
sightseeing. Likewise, it will build a path for passengers
in Greece and South Europe to come to watch the Beijing
2008 Olympic Games."

    Air China is the most frequent airline between Europe
and China in terms of the total number of Sino-European
flights. With its European headquarters based in Frankfurt,
Air China serves Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, London, Rome,
Milan, Stockholm, Moscow and Madrid with non-stop service
to Beijing or Shanghai offering 130 weekly flights.
Additionally, Air China attaches great importance on
cooperation with foreign airlines, and it is now in
partnership with Lufthansa, SAS, Finnair, Austrian
Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Alitalia and Turkish Airlines.
Its network of routes is fast expanding to serve more
cities throughout Europe e.g., Copenhagen, Helsinki,
Vienna, Istanbul and many German cities.  
 
    About Air China

    As China's sole designated flag carrier and the Airline
Partner of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Air China (HKEX:
0753; LSE: AIRC; SSE: 601111) serves 78 domestic and 39
international cities with an extensive network from its
Beijing hub, conveniently linking passengers between China
and destinations around the world.  Air China continues to
attract increasing international recognition as a
world-class carrier: It enjoys a growing reputation for
high-quality service, distinguished by traditional Chinese
warmth and hospitality. Air China is the most frequent
airline between Europe and China in terms of the total
number of Sino-European flights. Air China serves
Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, London, Rome, Milan, Stockholm,
Moscow and Madrid with non-stop service to Beijing or
Shanghai. In cooperation with other leading airlines, Air
China is expanding its network to serve more cities
throughout Europe, e.g., Copenhagen, Helsinki, Vienna,
Istanbul and many German cities.



    For more information, please visit
http://www.airchina.com.cn or contact:

     Han Xiao
     Air China
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]