Air China will commence nonstop services between Beijing and Montreal from September 29, 2015. The flights will connect the Chinese capital and Air China’s extensive domestic network, with Canada’s second largest city and an important industrial and commercial hub.
Currently, Air China offers ten flights per week between China and Canada, with additional connectivity through Star Alliance code sharing on Air Canada’s flights between Vancouver and six other selected Canadian cities, including Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
This will be the first direct Asia services for Montreal Airport, Canada’s fourth largest. The three weekly flights will also continue on to Havana, a strategically important destination for the Chinese government, although the airline has not yet been granted pick up rights in Canada.
Three flights, numbered CA879 and CA880, will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing Beijing at 1300 and arriving in Montreal at 1350 local time. The plane, a Boeing 777-300ER, will return to Beijing later the same day.
Currently, Air China serves seven destinations in North America – New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Vancouver and Hawaii – offering over 140 flights per week operated with Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 747-8 aircraft.
初始阶段很可能暂时不飞古巴，直到拿到航权。
Montreal airport, Canada’s fourth largest, is finally receiving its first Asian service with Air China planning to launch three weekly flights in Sep-2015 from its Beijing hub. The flights are planned to continue to Havana, a strategically important destination for the Chinese government, which Air China will fulfil as the flag carrier. There are not yet local pick-up rights available, placing large cost pressure on the Montreal-Havana sector, but even with fifth freedom traffic the tag will challenged for profitability. Air China’s Beijing-Montreal flight will be a part of its pending joint-venture with Air Canada.
Montreal hopes Air China will bring a domino affect observed in Boston, where one Asian service gradually brought more. The dynamics are different in Montreal, but with time there are opportunities for new services. Shanghai and Hong Kong are the obvious targets based on unserved O&D traffic flows. Air Canada is unlikely to open service, making Montreal dependent on foreign carriers. Shanghai’s China Eastern however is likely tied up with its Toronto service while Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific may prefer to wait until it has A350-1000s. Hainan Airlines, which is supplementing its Beijing hub with Shanghai long-haul services,
Air China to launch three weekly Beijing-Montreal-Havana flights
On 20-Sep-2015 Air China expects to open three weekly flights to Montreal from its Beijing hub. Beijing will be Air China’s second Canadian destination after Vancouver, which Air China serves with upwards of two daily 777-300ERs. Air China does not serve Toronto as Hainan Airlines applied for the Beijing-Toronto service before Air China, and China generally permits only one Chinese carrier on a long-haul route.
Air China will grow services to Australia/New Zealand and also launch service to Africa
Hainan Airlines had planned to launch Montreal service in 2015 and even applied before Air China, but Air China received approval. Air China’s Montreal-Havana service comes as the carrier seeks to find new markets after focusing much growth in recent years on the US. Air China will grow services to Australia/New Zealand and also launch service to Africa with potentially two destinations (Addis Ababa and Johannesburg), making Air China one of the few carriers to serve every inhabited continent.
Air China does not (yet) have fifth freedom rights between Montreal and Havana
Air China’s Beijing-Montreal leg is relatively straight forward and builds on the growing demand from China to Canada (as well as the US), which has seen further increases due to recent 10 year visa policies between China and Canada and the US. Air China will also have a role in Asian traffic beyond Beijing. Montreal’s current Asia traffic is served via other North American gateways.
Air China and Air Canada announced in Nov-2014 their intent to form a revenue sharing joint-venture
Air China and Air Canada announced in Nov-2014 their intent to form a revenue sharing joint-venture between China and Canada. They expect it to come into force by the end of 2015. This builds on Air China’s other announced long-haul joint-ventures, with Air New Zealand and the Lufthansa Group.
The more curious part of the routing is the Montreal to Havana sector. So far Air China does not have fifth freedom rights between Montreal and Havana, meaning the Montreal-Havana sector – on Air China’s 311-seat 777-300ER – will probably incur large losses. Even with local pick-up rights, Air China may struggle to achieve profitability on the sector.
The Montreal-Havana route is virtually unserved; in 2015 the only scheduled flights are from Air Transat, offering only two during the year. Most Canadian-Cuba services bypass the capital of Havana and instead serve resort destinations, such as Varadero. Varadero has the most seats of any Cuban airport to Toronto and Montreal. However, as Varadero is about 60 miles from Havana, Air China could work with operators to sell Havana with onward ground connections to other Cuban destinations, provided Air China receives local pick-up rights. Air China would likely offer low fares and have the advantage of its widebody service whereas most other Canada-Cuba services are flown on narrowbodies.
While Air China’s Montreal selection may reflect commercial imperatives, the continuation to Havana is politically motivated and Air China, as the flag carrier, does sometimes needs to fly “strategic” routes. This is the case with its forthcoming Beijing-Johannesburg service.