Air China Increases Weekly Flights to Athens from Beijing

Flights between Athens and Beijing, via Air China, will increase from three to five weekly flights, starting April 1.

Speaking during a press conference in Athens, the airline’s general manager in Greece, Fan Heyun, said flight frequencies on the Athens-Beijing route this summer will increase by 67 percent compared to 2019. Overall Air China has increased its frequencies connecting China to Europe by 2,8 percent.

According to Heyun, the growing popularity of the Athens-Beijing route is leading Air China to use one of its largest and most modern aircraft to carry out the flights this summer – the Airbus A350-941 aircraft  (replacing the A330) that has a capacity of 311 seats.

“The company’s capacity for this route will increase by 128 percent on a weekly basis,” Heyun said.

China: A promising market for Greek tourism

Meanwhile, Juneyao Air, a private-owned carrier in China, will launch direct routes between Athens and Shanghai three times a week from April 2 with its flagship Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

In combination with Air China’s five weekly flights from April, the number of weekly flights between Greece and China will rise to 8 this summer.

Athens International Airport (AIA) Director of Communications & Marketing Ioanna Papadopoulou referred to a development that fosters expectations for further development of the Chinese airline market, a strategically important source travel market for Greek tourism.

AIA’s Ioanna Papadopoulou presenting data on Chinese arrivals at Athens Airport in 2023. Photo source: Athens Airport

“The Chinese market last year recorded a 90-percent recovery of 2019 levels, so we are on the right track for 2024,” Papadopoulou said while speaking about Air China’s two new direct routes from April.

International arrivals from China last year (when travel restrictions were still in place) reached 95,000 at Athens Airport, accounting for 90 percent of pre-pandemic passenger traffic. This development saw the Chinese market returning to the list (at 19th place) of top 20 nationalities arriving at the airport.

According to Papadopoulou, AIA is a “Chinese-ready” airport, fully prepared to welcome more Chinese travelers.

2024: The Year of the Dragon at Athens International Airport

On February 12, Athens Airport celebrated the Chinese New Year –  the Year of the Dragon – and held an event at Air China’s Athens-Beijing check-in area, offering a taste of China’s culture, music and dragon dance. Following the Chinese tradition, gifts were offered to all arriving and departing passengers.

According to Papadopoulou, 2024 marks a significant milestone for Athens Airport due to the development in the Chinese market with the introduction of the Shanghai – Athens very first direct connection with Juneyao Airlines (second Chinese destination at Athens Airport) and the addition of two more weekly frequencies by Air China on the Athens-Beijing route.

“We wish to all our friends a Year of the Dragon full of happy moments and lots of travels to Athens,” she said.

Demographic data: Chinese market

The Chinese travel to Athens primarily for leisure, according to demographic data for the Chinese market presented by Papadopoulou.

In 2023, 72 percent of Chinese travelers arrived in Athens for leisure; 17 percent for business; and 10 percent to visit friends. Traditionally, 52 percent of Chinese people plan their trip with the help of a travel agent and 47 percent make a direct booking through an airline website. The average stay of their trips to Greece is 12 days, of which 4 are spent in Athens. Spots frequented by Chinese visutors in Athens include the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center, Flisvos and Piraeus, as well as Glyfada and Kolonaki for shopping. Their favorite destination in Greece is Santorini and they are highly interested in archaeological tours.

Ioanna Papadopoulou, Director of Communication & Marketing, AIA; Lai Bo, Minister Counselor, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Greece; Sofia Lazaridou, General Director, Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO); and Fan Heyun, General Manager of Air China.

Chinese travelers are high-spending tourists, a fact important for Greek tourism, considering that the Tourism Ministry is aiming to attract more big spending visitors.