As the second largest city in Italy, Milan is famous for its fashion, art and culture. Air China is the only Chinese airline to fly direct routes to the city from Beijing, greatly benefiting travelers in pursuit of fashion and art.

Roundtrip airfare for the first flight on June 15, 2011 starts at RMB2600, with ticket prices for flights within the route opening period starting at RMB3200, said Air China.

Air China officially launched a direct Shanghai-Milan route in May, 2008, but the route from Beijing to Milan is yet to be opened. In the past, the journey would normally take passengers approximately 17 hours to complete and usually required a transfer. The new route will not only make the trip more convenient but also save a lot of time.

Zhou Enyong, general manager of marketing department at Air China, said: “The Beijing-Milan route is an expansion of Air China's network in Europe, successfully making Air China the airline with the most European routes among China's domestic airlines. Air China is committed to building its domestic and international network.

“Since joining the Star Alliance in 2007, Air China's international network has been strengthened to cover 29 countries and regions. Moreover, our new routes to Europe will help satisfy growing market demand for travel to Europe and bring more convenience to both Chinese and European passengers.”

Will the move commercially benefit Air China?

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