Air China's X.com account recently posted a "very important" pinned message:
Starting from March 4, 2025, Air China's Washington D. C. (IAD) to Beijing (PEK) flight CA818 will be adjusted to a direct flight and will no longer stop over in Los Angeles (LAX).
This move carries two key implications.
Firstly, the Beijing-Washington route connects the capitals of China and the United States, making it a critical international link. Amid the increasingly complex China-U.S. trade dynamics, direct communication between political and business leaders has become more vital than ever.
Air China had already resumed its Beijing-Washington flights on November 21, 2023, operating twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Around the same time, the airline also increased its Beijing-Los Angeles service to three flights per week.
Another significant implication of this adjustment lies in the growing competition within the international aviation market.
Jason Li, a special commentator for TravelDaily China, noted that Air China's move coincides with United Airlines’ upcoming launch of a new Beijing-Los Angeles route.
United Airlines had successfully applied for this route with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) at the end of last year and is set to commence operations in May 2025.
As of March 2025, United Airlines will still operate only one route to Beijing—the San Francisco-Beijing service—without direct flights between the two capitals.
Currently, Air China remains the only airline offering direct flights between Los Angeles and Beijing. However, once United Airlines launches its Los Angeles-Beijing service, direct competition between the two carriers on this route will be inevitable.
For U.S. travelers accustomed to flying with United Airlines, there is currently no direct flight between Washington D.C. and Beijing, necessitating a layover in either San Francisco or Los Angeles.
Starting March 4, Air China’s new direct Washington-Beijing route offers a compelling alternative, especially for high-end political and business travelers.
Whether this move will successfully capture this premium market segment remains to be seen.
