- The 10-hour flight makes Chengdu more accessible to the world -

BEIJING, May 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Air China Limited (hereinafter referred to as "Air China") will commence nonstop Chengdu-Frankfurt service on May 19, 2013. The new service will cement the position of Chengdu as southwestern China's hub of air transportation and offer a faster and more economical option for travelers between southwestern China and Europe.

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Chengdu is Air China's important regional hub of operations in southwestern China and is served by Air China's over 62 domestic, international, and regional routes. It is part of the carrier's world-spanning route network alongside Beijing which is the main hub and Shanghai which is an international gateway. Frankfurt is Europe's second largest hub of air transportation and the German gateway to the world. It is served by over 260 air routes. It is also home to Star Alliance Headquarters and Air China Europe Regional Headquarters. With the new Chengdu-Frankfurt service, it is not only easier to travel between the two cities and the two countries, but also to benefit from the extensive network of the Star Alliance – with the Star Alliance, Air China's passengers can easily access 1356 destinations in 193 countries and regions.

The three-times weekly service, CA431/432, will be offered with mainstream long-range aircraft Airbus A330-200 on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday. The flight time is about only 10 hours. The flight leaves Chengdu at 01:30 and arrives in Frankfurt at 06:10 on the same day. The return flight is expected to take off from Frankfurt at 14:00 and arrive at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at 05:40 the next day. Such flight schedules are meant to make it easier for passengers to access their connecting flights in Frankfurt and Chengdu after arrival. The aircraft A330-200 features personal AVOD in all classes of service and lie-flat seats in the Business Class.

SOURCE Air China