About Air China

Air China is the largest flight carrier in China both in terms of traffic volume and company assets. The airline’s fleet of 224 aircraft serves 81 domestic and 42 international destinations, with nearly 6,000 scheduled flights weekly. Air China’s outstanding safety record has been recognized by the International Civil Aviation Organization, China’s State Council and the General Administration of Civil Aviation. Since 2004 the company has been listed on the Hong Kong and London stock exchanges.

Situation

Competition in China’s airline industry has become increasingly fierce due to the country’s rapid economic growth and deregulation, which opened the market to other local and international airlines. Air China sought to increase its competitiveness domestically and expand internationally, all while improving service quality. The company needed a robust, scalable network able to offer web-based services, process millions of daily transactions and accommodate anticipated growth. The company also needed the management of this complex network to be as simple as possible.

Solution

AT&T transformed Air China’s corporate network into an IP-enabled global infrastructure based on AT&T International End-to-End Frame Relay Service. Bilateral International Private Leased Circuits link Air China’s global network and data center in Beijing with its branch offices worldwide. Air China also uses AT&T Managed Network Services – Router Management Option, along with worldwide implementation services like project management, network design, circuit provisioning, equipment installation and operation acceptance tests. The solution covers 40 sites, including 14 in Asia Pacific, 17 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and eight in North America.