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Air China adds Shenzhen-Los Angeles
October 27th 2017
Air China will launch a thrice-weekly Shenzhen-Los Angeles B787-9 nonstop service from December 7. Read More » The Mainland airline said it was addressing a surge in China-U.S. outbound tourism with the new route.
Air China will hold a monopoly on the Shenzhen-Los Angeles route, although Xiamen Air offers a twice-weekly B787 direct service between Shenzhen and Seattle.
The flag carrier has opened a number of international routes from Shenzhen in the past 24 months, including flights to Frankfurt.
Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport is known to hand out subsidies to airlines to attract new international routes. The airport is benefitting from congestion at Hong Kong International Airport, which is a short ferry ride from Shenzhen.
The Air China subsidiary, Shenzhen Airlines, recently took delivery of the first of six on-order A330-300s, its maiden wide body. The airline will launch long-haul flights with the A330s, but has yet to announce their destinations.
Shenzhen Airlines has opted for the longer-range, 242 tonnes maximum take-off-weight (MTOW) configuration for its A330s, powered by Rolls-Royce’s Trent 700 engines. The aircraft will be fitted with an 18 flat-bed business class and 24 premium economy and 267 economy class seats.
Premium economy is a new service class for Shenzhen Airlines, although passengers should not be expecting too much. The seat and service will be identical to economy class. The only difference will be 4-5 inches extra legroom.
Shenzhen Airlines has a fleet of 88 B737NGs, 87 A320 Family jets and the aforementioned A330. The airline commenced operations in 1993 and joined the Star Alliance in 2012. Air China owns 51% of the carrier.
