Sunday, June 23, 2024 This summer, Air China is broadening its presence in Europe by launching a new direct flight to Milan from Chengdu, marking a significant expansion of its European operations. The airline will initiate the route from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport to Milan Malpensa Airport, representing its sixth connection to Italy and the fourth specifically to Milan. The service, set to begin on July 29, will operate thrice weekly using the Airbus A350-900.
This new connection extends the route’s distance to 5,008 miles (4,352 nautical miles) and is a substantial increase from its pre-COVID offerings in Milan. Prior to the pandemic in 2019, Air China operated two Milan routes originating from Beijing Capital and Shanghai Pudong. Post-pandemic, the airline resumed its Beijing service in October 2021 and added a new route from Wenzhou in November 2022, followed by a reinstatement of the Shanghai route in March 2023.
OAG Schedules Analyser data reveals that with the addition of the Chengdu service, Air China’s weekly seat capacity to Milan will jump to approximately 12,700 seats, an increase from 8,700 seats in 2019, and making it the airline’s 32nd nonstop service to Europe. Analysis for July indicates that Air China’s primary European markets are Germany, the UK, and Italy, with Spain and France also ranking highly. By late July, the airline is set to offer roughly 115,000 two-way weekly seats across its European routes, an increase of 62% year-over-year .
