Chinese airlines to add 12 new routes

Flag carrier Air China will add 12 new routes to Europe and the United States starting in 2008 and 2009 as it expands its international flight network. On September 10, the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued the initial distribution plan for long-haul flights to Europe and the US from 2008 to 2009. Besides Air China, other Chinese airlines that will add new routes are China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, and Shanghai Airlines. CAAC announced that Air China will open three new routes in 2008: Beijing-Berlin, Beijing-Istanbul, and Beijing-Warsaw. In 2009, it will open nine air routes: Beijing-Toronto, Beijing-Manchester, Beijing-Zurich, Beijing-Dusseldorf, Beijing-Vienna, Shanghai-Roma, Beijing-Milan. Each air route will have seven flights a week. Air China also plans to add flights in 2008 on the routes Beijing-Los Angeles, Beijing-Moscow, Shanghai-Paris, Beijing-Paris, Shanghai-Milan, and Beijing-San Francisco In 2009, it will add flights on the following routes: Beijing-Vancouver, Beijing-New York, and Beijing-Frankfurt. By contrast, China Southern Airlines will open two new air routes in 2008: Beijing-Newark and Guangzhou-Moscow, each with seven flights a week. China Eastern Airlines will open an air route to Shanghai-Los Angeles with two flights every week. Hainan Airlines plans to open two air routes to Beijing-Hamburg and Shanghai-Zurich, each with four flights every week. Shanghai Airlines will open three air routes: Shanghai-Vienna, Shanghai-Hamburg, and Shanghai-Zurich. In 2009, China Southern will open the Beijing-Amsterdam air route with seven flights every week. Also, China Southern, China Eastern, Hainan Airlines and Shanghai Airlines will add more flights to their current international air routes.