Air China to Commence Beijing-Washington Nonstop Service

BEIJING, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Air China will commence Beijing-Washington nonstop service on June 10, 2014, making Washington the 7^th North American destination that Air China serves alongside New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Hawaii and Vancouver. It will expand the carrier's North American schedule and cement its presence in the North American market, offering a new bridge of exchanges between the two capitals of two nations.

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The four-times weekly service CA817/8 will be offered on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with B777-300ER. The outbound flight leaves Beijing at 13:00 and arrives in Washington at 14:35 local time. The return flight leaves Washington at 16:35 local time and arrives in Beijing at 18:15 Beijing time the following day.

The political center of the United States, Washington is home to the White House, the Congress, the Supreme Court and many other government organs. Different from New York or Chicago where towering skyscrapers and hectic human flow reign supreme, Washington impresses with its cultural facilities, parks and lawns. The Library of Congress, the Washington Opera House, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and 9 universities like Georgetown University add a strong cultural flavor to the city.

North America is the world's largest and most well-established aviation market, while China is the world's most promising, fastest aviation market. In 2012, the number of available seats and passengers on the Sino-US aviation market reached 4.52 million and 3.89 million respectively, up 60.9% and 85.2% compared with 2009. Also in 2012, the United States became one of the most appealing tourist destinations abroad for Chinese travelers, and the United States enjoyed the highest growth rate of Chinese travelers compared with other parts of the world. The data from the U.S. Embassy in China show non-immigrant visa applications to the United States in 2012 jumped over 20% compared with 2011.

To meet the strong demand for travel to the United States and improve its global route network with the hub in Beijing, Air China has been expanding its presence in the United States market. Air China has increased its Beijing-New York service to 11 times weekly and Beijing-Los Angeles to twice daily, and has introduced Beijing-Houston and Beijing-Hawaii services. B777-300ER, an aircraft type popular with the business travelers worldwide, is now operated on these routes and will also be operated on the forthcoming Beijing-Washington route, which means the type will be operated on all these five routes. Its First Class and Business Class are outfitted with full-flat seats and a central bar. Personal entertainment system, personal power outlets and barrier-free toilet are available in all classes of service. The mood lighting system features various lighting schemes to mimic wonderful moments from sunrise to sunset.

Moreover, Air China also offers travelers gourmet meals and Sky Cellar onboard as well as chauffeured transfers for VIPs on the ground. With comfortable cabin environment and attentive services, Air China will be a great choice for travelers between China and the United States.