Air China (CA/CCA) — full-service carrier from China, based at Beijing Capital (PEK), member of Star Alliance.About Air China
Air China is the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China and the only Chinese member of Star Alliance. It grew out of the international division of CAAC in 1988 and has been headquartered in Beijing ever since, which makes the capital's two airports the centre of its network rather than one stop on it.
The airline is unusual at Daxing in that it did not move here. Its main base stayed at Beijing Capital (PEK), where its long-haul network and its Star Alliance partners are, and Daxing carries a second, largely domestic operation alongside a handful of international routes. If you are connecting onto or off an Air China flight, checking which of the two Beijing airports your ticket says is the single most important thing you can do.
Air China flights from Beijing Daxing
Air China's Daxing operation is heavily domestic — the majority of its PKX routes are Chinese provincial cities, from Harbin in the northeast to Zhuhai in the south. The international exceptions are Frankfurt, Milan–Malpensa, Bangkok, Seoul–Incheon and Hong Kong. Domestic check-in has its own dedicated area on Level 3, which Air China shares with China United; international departures check in on Level 4 like everyone else.
Air China flies from PKX to 54 destinations:
- Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
- Bayannur
- Bazhong
- Changchun
- Changsha
- Chengdu–Tianfu
- Chongqing
- Daqing
- Frankfurt
- Guangzhou
- Guilin
- Guiyang
- Haikou
- Hangzhou
- Harbin
- Hong Kong
- Jiamusi
- Jieyang
- Jingdezhen
- Kunming
- Lanzhou
- Mianyang
- Milan–Malpensa
- Nanchang
- Nanjing
- Nanning
- Nantong
- Ningbo
- Qiqihar
- Quzhou
- Ruijin
- Seoul–Incheon
- Shanghai–Pudong
- Shenyang
- Shenzhen
- Shiyan
- Taizhou
- Tongliao
- Weihai
- Wenzhou
- Wuhai
- Wuhan
- Xiamen
- Xi'an
- Xilinhot
- Yancheng
- Yangzhou
- Yanji
- Yibin
- Yichang
- Yinchuan
- Yuncheng
- Zhangjiajie
- Zhuhai
Route lists change with the summer and winter schedules, and frequencies change more often than that. For the flights operating today, check the live arrivals and departures boards.
Planning your trip
At Beijing Daxing, Air China checks in at Level 3 (domestic) and Level 4 (international). Check-in closes 30 minutes before departure on domestic flights and 45 minutes before departure on international ones — Daxing is a large building, and the walk from check-in to a far gate is a real part of your timing.
- Air China flies from both Beijing airports, and PEK and PKX are around 65 km apart. A same-day self-transfer between them is not realistic — allow half a day, or rebook.
- Star Alliance lounge access at Daxing is thinner than at Capital, because the alliance's other members stayed at PEK.
- Frankfurt and Milan are the two European routes; everything else long-haul departs from PEK.
Getting to the airport takes planning of its own: the Daxing Airport Express and the intercity railway are the fastest options from central Beijing, with taxis and private transfers as the door-to-door alternatives. The airport guide covers terminal layout, security and what is open landside.