Air China adds Beijing-Houston, up flights to New York, SFX, Vancouver

A BEIJING-HOUSTON service will be offered by Air China four times weekly from July 11, deploying a B777-300ER, making this the fifth North American destination the airline offers.

"We've seen a steady growth of air travel between Houston and China in recent years, and now it will become the first scheduled passenger destination in the US that we've added in three decades," said Air China CEO Jianjiang Cai.

Said Houston Mayor Annise Parker: "This new route will ensure our success in growing the Texas regional economy and strengthen ties to our trade partners in China."

In March, the New York-Beijing service will increase from seven to 11 time weekly and will deploy a B777-300ER. The Los Angeles-Beijing service, which already uses the 777, will resume a double-daily frequency from March 31.

The daily San Francisco-Beijing service will be enhanced with a larger B747-400 from July 11 while Vancouver-Beijing flights will increase from seven to 11 weekly from May.