Skift Take
Air China has evolved from a transport utility to a strong airline brand, and plans to grow its routes around the globe.
Air China has focused on improving products and services to satisfy the needs of mobile Chinese and International travelers, and encourage tourism at home and abroad.
During the CAPA Airlines in Transition Conference in Dublin, we had an opportunity to sit with Air China’s Vice President and General Manager for North America, Dr. Zhihang Chi, who shared insights on evolution of the airline, the growing influence and unique needs of the Chinese traveller, and plans for growth in an increasingly competitive market.
Brand Evolution
As Dr. Zhihang Chi describes it, Air China has evolved from a government-owned company, run largely as a public transport utility, to a publicly traded airline enterprise focused on the quality of its brand.
“We need to compete for capital and we need to compete for business,” he said. “We needed to get better and to change so we have invested very heavily in our brand and our product. We have a very strong brand recognition in China, so our focus has been to gain brand recognition internationally.”
To accomplish this, Dr. Zhihang Chi explained, Air China has followed the example of alliance partners Lufthansa and United, and taken inspiration from Cathay Pacific, in which Air China has a 30% stake.
Those examples have encouraged Air China to make changes in its product and services, as with
