Air China will increase flights to Europe and North America in the second half of 2026, signalling a wider long-haul capacity build-up from Beijing as international demand continues to recover. The move was outlined by an Air China executive in remarks reported on Monday, with the airline focusing on transatlantic and Europe-China services.
The plan does not include a detailed route list, frequency schedule or start dates. Even so, the timing points to a stronger push in long-haul markets after a summer period in which international flying outperformed domestic services. For Air China, additional frequencies on Europe and North America routes could help capture higher-yield traffic and sharpen competition on key premium corridors.
Reuters reported that the airline’s board director, Xiao Feng, linked the planned increase to the relative strength of international routes during the summer travel season, although overall results remained below expectations. The statement came as a broad network update rather than a formal timetable filing, leaving the exact operational changes still to be detailed.