AIR China celebrated
the inaugural flight of
its non-stop BeijingJohannesburg
route on Friday,
October 30, when flight
CA867 landed at OR Tambo
International Airport.
The launch of the new route
marks the start of Air China’s
plans to expand its African
operations. The airline will
launch direct flights between
Beijing and Addis Ababa on
November 2, Ambassador of
the People’s Republic of China
in South Africa, Tian Xuejun,
announced at the event.
According to the ambassador,
Addis will serve as the
airline’s north African hub
while the Johannesburg route
will cover the south.
He told TNW: “This, together
with codeshare partners like
SAA, will see us create a
regional network. Africa is
an important market for Air
China.” SAA and Air China
have signed a codeshare
agreement that will allow Air
China passengers to travel
to and from Cape Town, Port
Elizabeth and Durban on SAAoperated
flights.
“We predict that overall,
international inbound traffic
will rise by just 1,8% by the
end of March next year. We
want that number to improve
and we believe Air China will
aid that cause,” said gm
of OR Tambo International
Airport, Bongiwe Pityi.
“This route is massive for
SA in terms of the number
of Chinese tourists this flight
could potentially bring into
our country,” Tourism Minister,
Derek Hanekom, told TNW
on the sidelines of the event.
“We are trying to get back into
the Chinese brochures after
we were excluded in the wake
of the immigration regulations,
and this route is going to help
our cause.”
Air China arrives!
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