Connects different countries across six continents   Air China promotes new destinations for Taiwanese travelers

Reported and photographed by You T-Ru / Taipei

China International Airlines has completed its global route network to all six continents this year (2015). The new routes depart from Taiwan, with connections in mainland China, and fly to over 100 cities in Oceania, Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America, reducing layovers and flight times. At today’s (27th) press conference, flight attendants and celebrity Xiao Zhen walked the runway, showcasing a vibrant atmosphere.


▲ Hu Jian (third from left), General Manager of Air China Taipei Branch, and celebrity Xiao Zhen (third from right) attend the new routes press conference.

Air China operates flights from Taipei to 17 cities in Europe. This year, it has also increased flight frequency between mainland China and Europe. Taiwanese travelers can choose the most suitable flight times to fly directly to Europe via Beijing, Shanghai, or Chengdu. Whether traveling to Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Northern Europe, or Southern Europe, travelers can freely combine outbound and return flights.

Hu Jian, General Manager of Air China Taiwan Branch, pointed out that transit passengers with layovers of over four hours can use the airline lounge, while those with layovers over six hours are eligible for complimentary accommodation. Currently, destinations in the Americas include Hawaii, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco on the west coast, Houston, Washington, and New York on the east coast (excluding New York JFK), as well as Beijing–Montreal (Canada), which can be extended to Havana (Cuba) in Central America, making it the first direct route from Beijing to the Caribbean. This expansion increases the number of American destinations from 8 to 11 (9 in North America, 1 in Central America, and 1 in South America).

In Oceania, besides the existing Sydney and Melbourne, this year’s new Beijing–Auckland route completes coverage of the two major Oceanian nations. In Asia, this year’s new routes include Beijing–Mumbai, Beijing–Islamabad–Karachi (Pakistan), and Beijing–Colombo (Sri Lanka), all of which are ancient civilization destinations that are relatively unfamiliar to many Taiwanese travelers.

Hu Jian mentioned that destinations such as Johannesburg in South Africa and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia are even rarer on the market. The event also invited celebrity Xiao Zhen to share her thoughts, noting that past transit flights often required over two days of travel, but Air China’s convenient connections make such trips more appealing.

%The reporter observed enthusiasm among airline staff at the venue.