Air China will launch a new nonstop route to Istanbul before the end of the year.

Air China plans to commence service between Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and Istanbul Airport (IST) on Dec. 29, three times per week using Airbus A330-200, becoming the third carrier to connect Beijing and Istanbul on a city-pair basis 

Air China handled 10.4 million passengers in November 2023, up by 11.4% on the same month in 2019. International traffic was 41% lower at 803,300 passengers.