Increased demand is driving further expansion of flights between Vancouver and Beijing.
Air China announced plans Tuesday to increase the number of flights between Vancouver International Airport and Beijing Capital Airport to 12 flights per week from 10, citing increasing popularity with travelers.
The move is the second expansion of service this year. In June, it expanded service to 10 flights a week from three. Transportation Minister Shirley Bond said at the time the expanded service was a direct result of work undertaken at the 2009 International Open Skies Summit in Vancouver in September 2009.
“The early morning, non-stop departures that we launched in June of this year have been extremely popular with the Canadian and Chinese travelling public,” said David Solloway, a senior adviser for Air China.
The new flights will begin March 27, 2011, with 3:00 a.m. Vancouver departures on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights from Beijing will depart 11:30 a.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. These flights will complement Air China’s daily flights that depart Vancouver at 12:50 p.m.
The expanded service is expected to facilitate the upsurge in Chinese tourists to Canada, following China granting Canada approved destination status a year ago.
In July, an Asia Pacific Foundation study found Canada is among the top destinations for Chinese tourists. (See “Chinese rank Canada as third most-desired tourist destination” – BIV Business Today, July 13.)