Air China announced the impending launch of its new route between Beijing and Milan on June 15. The route will be serviced by a wide-body Airbus A330. As the second largest city in Italy, Milan is world-famous for its fashion, art and culture. Air China is the only Chinese airline to fly direct routes to the city from Beijing, greatly benefiting travelers in pursuit of fashion and art. Roundtrip airfare for the first flight on June 15 starts at RMB2600, with ticket prices for flights within the route opening period starting at RMB3200. Passengers can book tickets on Air China's website or through its ticket hotline.

Air China's Beijing-Milan route will offer flights every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, on flight numbers CA949 and CA950. Outbound flights will leave Beijing at 13:30 and arrive in Milan at 19:00. Return flights will depart from Milan at 13:30 and arrive in Beijing the next day at 13:30. The trip is 11 hours and 30 minutes each way. Air China officially launched a direct Shanghai-Milan route in May, 2008, but the route from Beijing to Milan is yet to be opened. In the past, the journey would normally take passengers approximately 17 hours to complete and usually required a transfer. The new route will not only make the trip more convenient but also save a lot of time.

Mr. Zhou Enyong, General Manager of Air China's Marketing Department, said, "The Beijing-Milan route is an expansion of Air China's network in Europe, successfully making Air China the airline with the most European routes among China's domestic airlines. Air China is committed to building its domestic and international network. Since joining the Star Alliance in 2007, Air China's international network has been strengthened to cover 29 countries and regions. Moreover, our new routes to Europe will help satisfy growing market demand for travel to Europe and bring more convenience to both Chinese and European passengers."