Transit Without Visa and China Transit Trial Status Awarded to Air China

VANCOUVER, Canada, February 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Canadian government authorities have awarded Air China with the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) and China Transit Trial (CTT) status effective February 1, 2012. Under this program, Chinese citizens with valid U.S. visas who are in direct transit through Vancouver (YVR) on their way to and from the United States are no longer required to obtain a Canadian Temporary Residence Permit. Only five international airlines serving Canada have received such status, and nationals of certain Asian countries have enjoyed this privilege since the second half of 2009.

Air China customers must hold a confirmed onward ticket to and from the USA within the same day of arrival and within the scheduled hours of the US-Intransit Pre-Clearance Facility (USITPC) at Vancouver International Airport.

"Being the first and only mainland Chinese carrier to be invited by the Canadian authorities to join the Transit Without Visa and China Transit Trial program is a distinct honor for Air China, our management team in China and Canada," Mr. Zhigang He, General Manager for Air China in Canada, commented.

"The US-Intransit Pre-Clearance facility at Vancouver International Airport provides seamless convenient connections, including pre-clearance by US Customs and Immigration. More important, the ability to transport our Chinese customers via the Vancouver Asia Pacific gateway to their final destination in the United States will help us continue to expand our flight from Beijing to Vancouver," Mr. He added.

A Star Alliance member, Air China is the world's largest airline by market capitalization, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It operates a fleet of 306 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, and its robust network of 289 routes extends throughout Asia, the Middle East, Europe, South and North America from its main hub at Beijing Capital International Airport. As a Star Alliance member, Air China has within its reach 1,160 destinations in 181 countries. Air China holds the controlling shares of its subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines, Air Macau, Shandong Airlines. It owns 29.99% of Cathay Pacific Airways, making it the airline's second largest shareholder after the Swire Group. In June 2011, Air China was awarded with a four-star service rating from SKYTRAX, the international services accrediting authority.

For more information, please visit www.airchina.ca or www.airchina.us. For sales and reservations, please contact (800) 882-8122.