Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines, the Asian nation’s second-largest airline by passenger numbers, will launch a new daily service between Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) and Paris-Charles De Gaulle (CDG), starting in the spring.
Launching on March 29th, the flight to Paris from Beijing’s new starfish-shaped mega airport will be China Eastern Airlines' first international flight from Daxing since the airport opened for business on September 26th, 2019.
The Paris flight can carry 288 passengers
From what we understand from Business Traveller, referencing the Civil Aviation Resource Net of China (CARNOC), the flights between the Chinese capital and the City of Lights will be as follows.
Flights will depart Beijing Daxing International Airport at 01:00 and arrive in Paris-Charles De Gaulle at 06:05 on the same day. The return journey back to China will depart Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at 14:20 and arrive at Beijing Daxing International Airport at 06:40 the next day.
On the new route, China Eastern Airlines will deploy its newest and most technologically advanced Airbus A350-900.
Able to accommodate 288 passengers in four classes of service the cabin comprises what China Eastern Airlines calls four “luxury business class” (first class) seats, 36 business class seats, 32 premium economy seats and 216 economy class seats.
The business class seats from Thompson Aero’s Vantage line are laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration and offer an innovative and highly efficient design. They come complete with a sliding door and seats that convert to a fully flat-bed.
The Airbus A350-900 offers passengers a new cabin design that features the latest generation in-flight entertainment, LED ambient lighting and controlled temperature and humidity. When China Eastern Airlines first placed their order with Airbus for the new A350 back in 2016, aviation website WOAVI quotes China Eastern Airlines Chairman Liu Shaoyong as saying:
“This aircraft means embarking on a new phase in the airline’s operations as well as opening a new chapter in the international development of China Eastern Airlines.”
China Eastern Airlines is a Skyteam partner with Delta
Starting in the first quarter of 2020, the Shanghai-based carrier is looking to move all of its Beijing operations from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) to the new facility at Daxing. The one exception will be the Beijing-Shanghai route which will remain at the old facility.
This move ties in with Skyteam partner Delta Air Lines' flights to Daxing from the United States. This will now allow passengers to effortlessly connect to China Eastern Airlines' domestic flights.
Back in 2017 China Eastern Airlines bought a 10% stake in Air France-KLM and will codeshare with the two airlines on the new flights between Paris and Beijing.
Daxing International Airport looks like a starfish
Located 50 kilometers from downtown Beijing in the Daxing district of the Capital, Beijing Daxing International Airport is a state-of-the-art facility that features the largest single-building airport terminal in the world.
And while you might think 50 kilometers is a long way from downtown, a high-speed 250km/h train operates between the airport and Beijing West Railway Station with a journey time of just 20 minutes.
By 2021, Daxing Airport expects to handle 45 million passengers per year, which will then increase to 75 million by 2025.