Air China, the official airline partner of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, has set up a 24-hour command center to ensure smooth air traffic during the Games.

Cai Jianjiang, Air China’s president, said the company had invested RMB568 million (about $81 million) to improve its ground control system and train employees.

The company had recruited 300 new stewards and selected 562 volunteers from current staff to work for the Games.

The new center would facilitate the coordination between the airline and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), and other key units at the Beijing Capital International Airport.
Source: China View

All planes leaving and landing at the Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) must use English in wireless communication with ground controllers from May 5, 2010.

This seems a sound, nay essential, move. On YouTube there are clips of pilots on China based aircraft landing in the United States and their English is, politely, not of the best.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said in a statement on its website that at least 30% of the flights must switch from Chinese to English from May 5 this year and no less than 60% must do that a year later.

The statement quoted CAAC deputy director Li Jian as saying at a conference, ‘Many foreign airlines have complained they couldn’t precisely judge their planes’ position in the air because of failing to understand the talk between Chinese pilots and air traffic controllers in their mother tongue, which led to hidden safety problems.’

He said the problems might worsen as airlines were expected to add flights to Beijing after Terminal 3 was opened in the run-up to the Olympic Games.
Source: Trading Markets

Taiwan President-elect Ma Ying-jeou (shown here) has tentatively set July 4 for launching weekend charter flights with the mainland as part of his plan to improve ties.

The National Policy Foundation, a think tank of Ma’s Nationalist Party or Kuomintang, said in a recent report that it had completed the direct weekend charter plan.

The service would begin taking passengers from the mainland for the weekend and carrying them back on Monday noon.

Chen Shih-yi, a foundation spokesman, said Ma had instructed that the service be started from July 4, and be extended to Chinese tourists coming to Taiwan for vacation after Beijing and Taipei work out an agreement.

Ma, a mainland-friendly politician who won a landslide victory in last month’s presidential election, has vowed to further open up the island to the mainland and forge direct transport link in 2009 after he assumes office on May 20.

Chen said Taiwan will open its international airports in Taoyuan in the north, Taichung in central Taiwan and Kaohsiung in the south for charter services. Flight points from the mainland will include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen.
Source: TopNews.in

Philippine Airlines, an airline which has had an interesting career and is still the nation’s flag carrier, is opening two regular flights to China, marking the the first direct air link between the Philippines and the scenic southwestern part of China.

Departures from Manila for Chongqing are every Monday and Friday. The return service departs Chongqing on the same days.
For Chengdu, departures from Manila are every Tuesday and Saturday. Return flighs are on the same day. Both routes will be served with brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft.

Chongqing and Chengdu are PAL’s fourth and fifth destinations, respectively, in mainland China. The airline already operates daily services to Shanghai and Xiamen, and a five-times-weekly service to Beijing.
Source: Business Enquirer

The parent company of Air China used a newspaper advertisement to plead with the directors of China Eastern to review its rejection of a proposed alliance between the two carriers.

The advertisement was placed in the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. (This is not a newspaper which has traditionally given full approval to the actions of the government of China. In the advertisement China National Aviation Corp (CNAC), parent of flagship carrier Air China, insisted its bid was sincere.

The advertisement said, ‘CNAC has been highly sincere in seeking a strategic partnership with China Eastern Airlines.
‘CNAC hopes that the board of directors of China Eastern Airlines will seriously review and give full consideration to the proposal.’

CNAC called on China Eastern to hold a meeting as soon as possible to discuss the details.

China Eastern, the country’s third largest carrier, has once again rejected the alliance and said the bid ‘lacks sincerity, planning and mutual trust and it would be hard to create a basis for cooperation’.

China Eastern added it would continue seeking strategic investors to strengthen its core business which means there may just be a glimmer of hope for the deadlocked plan to tie-in with Singapore Airlines (SIA).

In theory, at least, SIA and Temasek Holdings, Singapore’s state-linked investment firm, signed a preliminary deal in September to take a 24% stake in China Eastern for $923 million.

Minority shareholders rejected the bid after CNAC proposed to buy 2.985 billion new Hong Kong listed shares in China Eastern. China Eastern will receive at least US$1.9 billion US dollars in cash under CNAC’s proposal.

CNAC also suggested the two carriers integrate their cargo business to set up a joint venture and cooperate in codesharing, optimisation of route networks, maintenance and ground service.

What was not said by any party involved was why it was so important. And, in a sense it is simplicity itself. China Eastern has Shanghai sewn up. Air China does not; it has Beijing. If Air China can get a slice of China Eastern then it has the two main points of entry into the country covered. At the same time, Cathay Pacific has a strong interest in Air China which would be transferred to the new alliance.

A footnote: the thought appears to be that SIA would make a massive difference to the inflight service on China Eastern which, in truth, needs all the help it can get.

But Air China has for some time had some of its cabin crew under the training of Cathay Pacific. If there is a difference, it is not noticeable to the eye of a cynical passenger. Eventually it will all settle down and the airlines of China will realize that if they are to do battle in an itnernational sphere then the cabin service has to be up to that of other, competing airlines. At the moment it is not.
Source: AFP