Air China was formed in 1988 from the international arm of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. It inherited the best routes and the job of flying China's leaders abroad. It still does that as the national flag carrier, the airline that officially represents the country. Its home is Beijing Capital International Airport. In 2002 it absorbed China Southwest Airlines and gained a big base in Chengdu.
Chengdu became a hub, meaning an airport where an airline connects many of its flights. It listed its shares in Hong Kong and London in 2004. In December 2007 it joined Star Alliance, the world's largest airline network. From 2006, Air China and Cathay Pacific each held a large stake in the other. The tie-up was a rare bridge between mainland and Hong Kong aviation.
Air China carried the Olympic flame for the 2008 Beijing Games. Absorbing Shenzhen Airlines added bases in Shanghai and Shenzhen to its Beijing-centered 'Phoenix' plan. It bought a stake in Shandong Airlines and took full control in 2023. New COMAC C919 jets now join its Airbus and Boeing fleet. It reaches about 190 destinations on six continents. It also flies government routes to Geneva, alone among Chinese carriers.