LOS ANGELES, March 29 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Air China Limited held a grand opening Friday, March 26, 2010 in celebration of its much anticipated brand new Los Angeles office building. The modern offices, located in El Segundo just south of LAX at 2131 East Maple Avenue, will serve as Air China's North American headquarters combining its sales, marketing and call center reservations staff. The 13,000 square foot building officially opened with festivities including a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
(Photo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2010/03/29/20100329906269.jpg )
(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2008/12/26/200812261146.jpg)
"This is a strong demonstration of our commitment to the Los Angeles community, and we are proud of this multi-million dollar investment in the US market especially during these difficult economic times," said Ms. Lan Zhang, Executive Vice President of Air China. "Our new space is essential for the creation of job opportunities that we will provide, since it allows us to easily add employees as we grow," she continued.
The building accommodates a 50-position call center, half of which was immediately occupied after the Grand Opening. The center currently answers customers' phone calls throughout the United States and Canada from Monday to Saturday. Beginning April 1, it will also be open on Sundays from 7:30 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., Pacific Time. The toll free number is 800-882-8122.
Present at the ceremony was El Segundo Mayor Kelly McDowell who said, "We are delighted that Air China has chosen El Segundo for their American headquarters and warmly welcome this new and prestigious member to our business community. Air China's decision to locate in our city reaffirms our strong commitment to business and will significantly help not just our city, but Southern California's economy as a whole."
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, also in attendance stated, "Los Angeles County appreciates Air China's commitment to providing quality and convenient air service between the United States and China. We wish Air China continued success in the years ahead, and look forward to our continued partnership in creating jobs and economic opportunities between our two nations." Other guests included members of the Chinese Consulate, VIP tourism industry partners and a variety of media representatives.
Air China currently operates a Boeing 747-400 daily non-stop, three-class service between Los Angeles and Beijing, offering connections throughout China, Asia, and the world. According to Ms. Lan Zhang, the airline's future plans include adding a second flight from Los Angeles to Beijing to serve the increase of travelers between the U.S. and China. The airline advised this prospective additional flight further reflects the carrier's confidence in its U.S. operations, and a LAEDC study suggests that such a flight contributes an annual $623 million to the local economy and supports 3,100 local jobs.
About Air China
In North America Air China serves New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Vancouver with daily non-stop service to Beijing. In addition, Air China is a member of the Star Alliance, a group of 20 well-established global airline companies, providing extensive flight options and mileage programs. Air China serves 85 domestic and 40 international cities from its hub in Beijing. For more details, please visit http://www.airchina.com
