Air China has announced that starting March 31 it will upgrade its aircraft to the state of the art Boeing 777-300ER and increase its frequency from 7 to 11 per week for its nonstop New York-Beijing flights.

“Adding new flights is a response to a consistently growing passenger demand for more convenient nonstop services between New York and Beijing. Business or leisure travelers bound for Beijing or onward to domestic Chinese cities and other destinations in Asia such as Hong Kong, Vietnam, India, the Philippines, Thailand and many others, stand to benefit the most from Air China’s increased capacity and convenient connecting flights,” Mr. Yuelong Zhou, Air China’s General Manager in New York, said.

Air China is the only airline with nonstop service between New York and Beijing. It is also the only airline with first class cabin between these two cities. Current daily flights between New York and Beijing are CA 982 and CA 981. The additional outbound flight, CA 990, departs from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 2:50 AM, arriving in Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) at 2:20 PM local time the next day. Inbound, CA 989 leaves Beijing at 9:00 AM also on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in New York at 10:20 AM local time on the same day. As the largest long-range twin-engine jetliner, the B777-300ER is cleaner and greener. It also brings twin-engine efficiency and reliability to the long-range market and delivers better fuel performance.

“Operating the New York-Beijing flight with the new ‘triple seven’ provides Air China with a significant advantage in the highly competitive New York market. It shows our commitment to provide air travelers with the best product from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Beijing. I’m sure our guests will appreciate the features of the energy-efficient Boeing 777-300ER,” Mr. Zhou commented.

The ‘triple seven’ has a wider cabin than any competing aircraft. It is designed for maximum passenger comfort and convenience. Air China’s Forbidden Pavilion (first class) features eight luxury suites, 41 full-flat bed seats in the Capital Pavilion (business class) and 259 economy seats with individual monitors and in-seat audio-video on demand (AVOD).

Air China, 800-882-8122, www.airchina.us