Air China, China's third biggest airline in terms of fleet size, is considering re-launching its passenger and cargo service from Hong Kong to London this year, a company official said on Wednesday.

The airline, which once provided the weekly flight with a Boeing 747 Combi but suspended it in April 1998 due to the Asian economic crisis, was also planning to increase its passenger flights from Beijing to Hong Kong and Beijing to London from March 26, the official said.

The company had not decided whether to use the 408-seat Boeing 747-400 or the 290-plus-seat Boeing 747 Combi, which has more room for cargo, to fly the route.

Air China planned to increase the number of its flights from Beijing to London to four per week from current three. It would have five flights per day from Beijing to Hong Kong from March 26 compared to current four.

Air China was still engaged actively in talks to take over small Chinese airlines, he said but declined to elaborate.

(Eastday.com 01/04/2001)