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A brand new and bigger Air China was launched in Beijing on Monday. At 12:30, its flight CA 1901 flew on a new route from Beijing to Urumchi for the first time.
Air China aims to become the top airline in Asia and even the world, according to company president Li Jiaxiang. Turnover this year was tipped to be 25 billion yuan (US$3 billion), he said .
The biggest company under the newly regrouped China National Aviation Holding Company (CNAH), Air China will be in charge of aviation transport and related business.
Air China now owns 118 aircraft, 307 air routes and makes over 3,000 regular flights per week. A new Boeing 737-800 will fly to Beijing in a few days, the first aircraft acquired since Air China's launching. The airline also plans to acquire 15 Boeing and Airbus planes next year.
Air China intended to be listed abroad when conditions were right, Li said. Its routes are currently being restructured with those of China Southwest Airlines and China National Airlines, which also belong to CNAH.
Air China will broaden cooperation with both foreign and domestic airlines as well as improve services. It is also looking for a chance to join a global aviation alliance.
A big trend in the civil aviation industry is to separate passengers and cargo. The country's biggest air cargo company jointly organized by Air China, Hong Kong CITIC Company and Beijing Capital Airport is expected to be set up soon. The joint venture company would have a registered capital of 2.2 billion yuan (US$0.3 billion), with Air China the biggest shareholder, said Zhang Xueren, vice president of Air China.
Next month, Air China will launch a cargo flight to Portland in the United States.
(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2002)
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