TOPIC

/ company

Air China

Air China is the flag carrier and one of the major airlines of the People's Republic of China. Based in Beijing it is one of the world’s largest airlines in terms of fleet size.

Chairman / President

Wang Mingyuan

CFO / Finance Director

Sun Yuquan

Industry

Airline

Website

airchina.com

Headquarters address

Beijing Tianzhu Airport Industrial Zone, Shunyi District, Beijing, China

Stock Code

SEHK:0753

Year founded

1988

More than 9 million Chinese citizens visited Japan last year. Photo: AFP

China-Japan relations

Beijing issues new Japan travel warning as row over PM’s Taiwan comments drags on

Citizens warned against visiting ahead of Lunar New Year holiday as Chinese airlines extend deadline for refunds or flight changes.

26 Jan 2026 - 8:55PMvideocam

Cathay Pacific

Air China’s HK$1.32 billion Cathay stake sale ‘tactical’: Hong Kong carrier CEO

6 Jan 2026 - 7:50PM

China-EU relations

Airbus scores major win in China with orders for 148 A320 aircraft

31 Dec 2025 - 9:46PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

China-Japan tension hits holiday travel as flights cancelled on 46 routes

All cancelled flights are operated by Chinese carriers and involve most of the country’s major airlines.

22 Dec 2025 - 9:13PMvideocam

Visitors take photos against the backdrop of Japan’s Mount Fuji. Tensions have been high between China and Japan since November. Photo: AFP

China-Japan relations

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan lose momentum amid tensions: official data

Mainland visitor numbers rose just 3% in November after flight cuts and travel warnings took effect as diplomatic strains escalated.

18 Dec 2025 - 9:14AMvideocam

China consumption

‘A violation’? China’s airlines in the hot seat over hidden extra fees

Seat selection fees are becoming more common in China as airlines grapple with squeezed profit margins, but consumers are pushing back.

13 Dec 2025 - 6:00PMvideocam

China-Japan relations

Major Chinese airlines extend full refund offers for Japan flights by 3 months

Largest state-owned carriers including China Southern and Air China continue free refunds or itinerary changes amid diplomatic row.

5 Dec 2025 - 10:45PM

A China Eastern Airlines flight takes off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. The carrier is among several in China to have announced a full refund policy for Japan-bound flights. Photo: Xinhua

China travel

Chinese airlines cancel flights on 12 Japan routes as tensions continue to rise

The carriers had already received refund requests for hundreds of thousands of flight bookings to Japan amid a growing diplomatic row.

24 Nov 2025 - 8:00PMvideocam

Hong Kong transport

Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines leads way with refunds amid Japan travel alerts

Airlines in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau have announced flexible arrangements for Japan-bound flights as tensions simmer in region.

20 Nov 2025 - 7:50PM

Hong Kong transport

Hong Kong travel firm sees interest in Japan tours drop 20% amid regional tensions

Travel agency CEO says some customers asking to withdraw from Japan, following travel warning by China’s foreign affairs ministry.

19 Nov 2025 - 10:34PM

China’s foreign ministry issued a warning late on Friday night, urging its people to avoid travelling to Japan as the safety of Chinese citizens there had “continued to deteriorate”. Photo: Getty Images

China-Japan relations

China’s travel warnings for Japan evoke mixed reactions at home

String of official advisories has made some Chinese tourists wary while others are on the lookout for bargain airfares as spat spirals.

17 Nov 2025 - 8:19PMvideocam

A Chinese tour group at Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district on November 16. China is one of the biggest sources of foreign tourists to Japan. Photo: AFP

China travel

491,000 Japan-bound air tickets cancelled as China warns people to avoid travel

Lost ticket revenue could be in the billions of yuan, analyst says, as carriers brace for short-term capacity shifts if diplomatic tensions fail to ease.

17 Nov 2025 - 5:33PM

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong issues Japan travel warning citing rise in attacks on Chinese citizens

Security Bureau’s move follows Beijing’s travel warning amid escalating row over Taiwan-related comments by Japanese leader.

15 Nov 2025 - 8:06PM

Yuan

China’s yuan added to aviation settlements in boost to internationalisation

The International Air Transport Association is adding the yuan to the basket of currencies available for payments through its clearing house.

6 Nov 2025 - 4:32PM

China travel

‘Work from the air’: Chinese airline offers free Wi-fi to lure back travellers

China’s airlines face growing competition from the country’s high-speed rail network, which many passengers prefer for intercity travel.

19 Oct 2025 - 10:00AMvideocam

Chinese airlines have begun offering free on-board Wi-fi on domestic routes as they compete with the country’s high-speed rail network for passengers. Photo: Shutterstock

China travel

Battery fire aboard Air China flight to South Korea forces emergency landing

No injuries reported as plane departing Hangzhou for Seoul diverts to Shanghai.

19 Oct 2025 - 6:15PM

Cathay Pacific

US, Hong Kong ‘both lose’ if Cathay added to planned Russian airspace ban

Warning from experts follows calls for Cathay to be included in proposed ban on mainland airlines from using Russian airspace to fly to US.

24 Oct 2025 - 5:44PM

US-China trade war

Chinese airlines oppose US plan to stop flights over Russia on way to America

US Department of Transportation says move aims to address ‘competitive disparity’ between American and Chinese carriers.

16 Oct 2025 - 2:43PM

An Air China plane at Beijing Capital International Airport. Photo: Reuters

US-China relations

China hits out at US plan to ban Chinese carriers from Russian airspace

Beijing urges US to consider how its policies harm American firms instead of ‘unjustifiably suppressing’ others and burdening global consumers.

10 Oct 2025 - 8:17PMvideocam

US-China relations

Trump admin proposes barring Chinese airlines flying over Russia on US flights

US airlines have long complained that this gives Chinese carriers the advantage of decreased flying time and lower fuel consumption.

10 Oct 2025 - 4:52PMvideocam

China’s C919 passenger plane

With China’s C919 jet facing order delays, is Boeing waiting in the wings?

C919 engine supply issues, mutual desire for trade breakthrough may lead Chinese airlines to buy planes from US giant, analysts said.

3 Oct 2025 - 11:00PMvideocam

Delivery delays for China’s C919 passenger jet could benefit US aerospace giant Boeing and its competing aircraft, the 737 Max. Photo: AFP

China’s C919 passenger plane

Orders of China’s C919 jet could face delays over engine supply snags

Financial reports from China’s top airlines suggest deliveries of home-grown plane could come late – potentially caused by US engine controls.

29 Sep 2025 - 10:00AMvideocam

Planned deliveries of China’s home-grown C919 jet could be facing delays, according to the financial reports of the country’s largest airlines. Photo: Frank Chen

India

India, China to resume direct flights, opening door for travel boom

Potential for growth and cooperation is ‘substantial’, analysts say, with resumption of flights likely to boost both countries’ economies.

28 Aug 2025 - 4:08PMvideocam

Aviation

Planes have near miss after Air China flight’s unexplained change of height

The passenger jet and SF Airlines cargo plane come within 100 or so metres of each other while on a direct collision course over Russia.

14 Jul 2025 - 11:10PM

China airliners

How China’s C919 aircraft could win big from revived US jet engine exports

But analysts say Beijing remains determined to fast-track the development of home-grown aviation technology.

7 Jul 2025 - 2:11PMvideocam

The C919, China’s first domestically developed narrowbody passenger jet, at Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok on January 1, 2025. Photo: SCMP/Eugene Lee

China technology

Opinion | To rival Boeing and Airbus, China’s C929 needs more than top engineering

The country must secure international certification to win trust, build an aerospace ecosystem and balance localisation with global integration.

29 Jun 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

A model of the C929 widebody aircraft at the Comac booth at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, Guangdong, on November 14. Photo: Reuters

China airliners

As skies in Mideast close, China airlines have key advantage – Russian airspace

In a sky divided by conflict, some companies face longer, costlier routes – giving Chinese firms a competitive edge, analysts say.

24 Jun 2025 - 2:53PMvideocam

China travel

‘More convenient’: why China’s travellers are ditching planes for bullet trains

More passengers on busy Beijing-Shanghai route are choosing high-speed rail, which offers flexibility, comfort and stable internet access.

26 May 2025 - 9:19AMvideocam

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Air China

Beijing issues new Japan travel warning as row over PM’s Taiwan comments drags on

Citizens warned against visiting ahead of Lunar New Year holiday as Chinese airlines extend deadline for refunds or flight changes.

Air China’s HK$1.32 billion Cathay stake sale ‘tactical’: Hong Kong carrier CEO

Airbus scores major win in China with orders for 148 A320 aircraft

China-Japan tension hits holiday travel as flights cancelled on 46 routes

All cancelled flights are operated by Chinese carriers and involve most of the country’s major airlines.

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan lose momentum amid tensions: official data

Mainland visitor numbers rose just 3% in November after flight cuts and travel warnings took effect as diplomatic strains escalated.

‘A violation’? China’s airlines in the hot seat over hidden extra fees

Seat selection fees are becoming more common in China as airlines grapple with squeezed profit margins, but consumers are pushing back.

Major Chinese airlines extend full refund offers for Japan flights by 3 months

Largest state-owned carriers including China Southern and Air China continue free refunds or itinerary changes amid diplomatic row.

Chinese airlines cancel flights on 12 Japan routes as tensions continue to rise

The carriers had already received refund requests for hundreds of thousands of flight bookings to Japan amid a growing diplomatic row.

Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines leads way with refunds amid Japan travel alerts

Airlines in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau have announced flexible arrangements for Japan-bound flights as tensions simmer in region.

Hong Kong travel firm sees interest in Japan tours drop 20% amid regional tensions

Travel agency CEO says some customers asking to withdraw from Japan, following travel warning by China’s foreign affairs ministry.

China’s travel warnings for Japan evoke mixed reactions at home

String of official advisories has made some Chinese tourists wary while others are on the lookout for bargain airfares as spat spirals.

491,000 Japan-bound air tickets cancelled as China warns people to avoid travel

Lost ticket revenue could be in the billions of yuan, analyst says, as carriers brace for short-term capacity shifts if diplomatic tensions fail to ease.

Hong Kong issues Japan travel warning citing rise in attacks on Chinese citizens

Security Bureau’s move follows Beijing’s travel warning amid escalating row over Taiwan-related comments by Japanese leader.

China’s yuan added to aviation settlements in boost to internationalisation

The International Air Transport Association is adding the yuan to the basket of currencies available for payments through its clearing house.

‘Work from the air’: Chinese airline offers free Wi-fi to lure back travellers

China’s airlines face growing competition from the country’s high-speed rail network, which many passengers prefer for intercity travel.

Battery fire aboard Air China flight to South Korea forces emergency landing

No injuries reported as plane departing Hangzhou for Seoul diverts to Shanghai.

US, Hong Kong ‘both lose’ if Cathay added to planned Russian airspace ban

Warning from experts follows calls for Cathay to be included in proposed ban on mainland airlines from using Russian airspace to fly to US.

Chinese airlines oppose US plan to stop flights over Russia on way to America

US Department of Transportation says move aims to address ‘competitive disparity’ between American and Chinese carriers.

China hits out at US plan to ban Chinese carriers from Russian airspace

Beijing urges US to consider how its policies harm American firms instead of ‘unjustifiably suppressing’ others and burdening global consumers.

Trump admin proposes barring Chinese airlines flying over Russia on US flights

US airlines have long complained that this gives Chinese carriers the advantage of decreased flying time and lower fuel consumption.

With China’s C919 jet facing order delays, is Boeing waiting in the wings?

C919 engine supply issues, mutual desire for trade breakthrough may lead Chinese airlines to buy planes from US giant, analysts said.

Orders of China’s C919 jet could face delays over engine supply snags

Financial reports from China’s top airlines suggest deliveries of home-grown plane could come late – potentially caused by US engine controls.

India, China to resume direct flights, opening door for travel boom

Potential for growth and cooperation is ‘substantial’, analysts say, with resumption of flights likely to boost both countries’ economies.

Planes have near miss after Air China flight’s unexplained change of height

The passenger jet and SF Airlines cargo plane come within 100 or so metres of each other while on a direct collision course over Russia.

How China’s C919 aircraft could win big from revived US jet engine exports

But analysts say Beijing remains determined to fast-track the development of home-grown aviation technology.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | To rival Boeing and Airbus, China’s C929 needs more than top engineering

The country must secure international certification to win trust, build an aerospace ecosystem and balance localisation with global integration.

As skies in Mideast close, China airlines have key advantage – Russian airspace

In a sky divided by conflict, some companies face longer, costlier routes – giving Chinese firms a competitive edge, analysts say.

‘More convenient’: why China’s travellers are ditching planes for bullet trains

More passengers on busy Beijing-Shanghai route are choosing high-speed rail, which offers flexibility, comfort and stable internet access.

Opinion | To rival Boeing and Airbus, China’s C929 needs more than top engineering