Air China opens Daxing–Europe routes as global network expands

Air China, China's national flag carrier, on Monday held an inaugural event at Beijing Daxing International Airport for two new direct European routes as the airline expands its international network and advances coordinated operations across Beijing's dual-airport hub system.

The airline said its Beijing Daxing–Frankfurt service will begin on Tuesday, while the Beijing Daxing–Milan route is scheduled to launch on June 13.

The new services are expected to strengthen Beijing's connectivity with Europe and support growing exchanges in business, tourism and people-to-people travel, according to the company. Air China currently serves 23 destinations in Europe, underscoring its role as a major carrier on China–Europe routes. Frankfurt is one of Europe's leading transport and financial centers and home to Germany's largest aviation hub, while Milan is widely known as Italy's economic and financial center as well as a global capital of art and fashion.

The airline said the two new routes will help improve Daxing airport's links with major international gateways and further broaden its European network, giving travelers more direct options between China and Europe. Both routes will also be included in Air China's joint venture cooperation with Lufthansa, allowing passengers to benefit from closer network coordination and improved service connections.

The launch comes as China's civil aviation sector enters the 2026 summer-autumn season, which began in late March and runs through Oct 24, covering 210 days that include the summer holiday peak and several public holidays. During the new season, 222 Chinese and foreign airlines are scheduled to operate about 121,000 passenger and cargo flights per week, broadly unchanged from a year earlier. Of those, 191 airlines plan to operate 21,047 international flights a week, up 1.8 percent year-on-year, serving 86 countries, with Cyprus added as a new destination in the route network.

Against that backdrop, airlines are continuing to fine-tune their international operations while facing cost pressures. Lin Zhijie, an aviation industry analyst, said rising fuel prices remain a major factor behind recent adjustments to international flights, adding that such pressure is not unique to China but is being felt across global markets as carriers grapple with a more challenging operating environment.