Air China announced today that it will launch a new route between Beijing and Athens via Munich on May 15. The route will be serviced by the large-capacity, wide-body Airbus A330. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, Athens is Greece's largest city and capital, and is the eighth-largest city in Europe. With a subtropical Mediterranean climate, the city is cradled between mountains and the Aegean Sea. Athens is one of the world's oldest cities, with 3000 years of recorded history.

The new Beijing-Munich-Athens route will serve travelers who seek ancient temples and culture of Greece. Passengers can now book tickets on the Air China website (www.airchina.com) or through the Air China ticketing hotline.

Air China's Beijing-Munich-Athens route has flights every Wednesday and Saturday on flight numbers CA961 and CA962. The outbound flight will depart Beijing at 00:40 and arrive in Munich at 05:30. The departing flight from Munich is at 06:55 and arrives in Athens at 10:30.The return flight will depart from Athens at 11:30, arriving in Munich at 12:55, depart at 14:25 and arrive in Beijing the following day at 06:10. Trip duration is 13 hours and 25 minutes. The number of Chinese tourists to Greece is on the rise, and the introduction of this new route is expected to stimulate even more Chinese tourism to Greece.