Air China flies to Panama

Air China last week started one-stop direct flights between Panama and Beijing.

The twice-weekly service of 17 hours with a stop in Houston uses a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a capacity of 380.

With a designation by China as an approved tourism destination, Panama hopes this year to double the number of Chinese visitors.

The president of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela; the manager of Tocumen International Airport, Carols Duboy; the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Qiang Wei; and the Vice President of Air China, Jianxiong Cao, greeted the arrival of the first flight.

With over 400 aircraft and more than 200 destinations, Air China is controlled by China National Aviation Holding Company, a state-owned enterprise formed in 2002 by the merger of Air China, China Southwest Airlines, and China National Aviation Corporation.

Company headquarters and principal operations are in Beijing.