October 19, 2026 — Air China is taking its Boeing 747s off its busiest domestic routes for the first half of the northern winter season, while keeping the 747-8I on three long-haul routes to Europe and the U.S.
What happened
According to AeroRoutes, Air China’s latest schedule removes 747-400 and 747-8I flying from these domestic trunk routes out of Beijing Capital:
| Route | Aircraft removed | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing Capital–Guangzhou | 747-400 | October 28, 2026 – January 2, 2027 |
| Beijing Capital–Shanghai Hongqiao | 747-8I | October 25 – December 31, 2026 (last scheduled 747-8I flight was October 7) |
| Beijing Capital–Shanghai Hongqiao | 747-400 | October 25, 2026 – January 20, 2027 |
| Beijing Capital–Shenzhen | 747-400 | October 25 – December 31, 2026 |
The replacement aircraft have not been named (TBA). AeroRoutes cautions that the 747s may still appear on selected domestic dates and that more schedule changes are highly possible.
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Where the 747-8I keeps flying
- Beijing Capital–Frankfurt: 3 weekly (1 weekly from October 25 to November 8, 2026)
- Beijing Capital–New York JFK: 5 weekly
- Beijing Capital–Washington Dulles: 2 weekly
What it means for non-revs
- A 747 swapped for a smaller jet usually means fewer seats per flight, so if you have a ZED or interline trip on these Beijing domestic routes, check loads closer to departure.
- Enthusiasts hoping to log an Air China 747 on a short domestic hop should look before October 25; after that, the safest bets are the Frankfurt, New York JFK and Washington Dulles routes.
Sources
- AeroRoutes — Air China removes Boeing 747s from domestic routes in NW26 (report dated October 19, 2026)
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