Air China Launched Direct Flight Milan - Beijing Daxing: What This Changes for Travel Between Italy and China

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Marta Skylar
Aviation News Editor
28.07.2026 02:43

Air China Launched Direct Flight Milan - Beijing Daxing: What This Changes for Travel Between Italy and China

Air China has opened a direct connection between Milan Malpensa Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport. For tourists and business travelers, this means more flight options between Northern Italy and China, and for Milan, it is another reinforcement of its role as an intercontinental hub.

The new Milan Malpensa - Beijing Daxing route has become one of the most notable aviation news items of recent days for the European-Chinese direction. According to SEA Milan Airports and reports from specialized aviation media, Air China has begun operating direct flights between Milan and the Beijing Daxing airport using Airbus A330-300 aircraft. For Italy, this is important not only as another line to China: Malpensa became the first airport in the country to receive a direct passenger connection specifically with Daxing, the newer and strategically important Beijing aviation hub.

For readers planning a route through Northern Italy, it is useful to check the Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) page, and for flights to the Chinese capital, information about Beijing Daxing Airport (PKX). The news does not mean that all entry or transit rules are automatically simplified, but it increases competition and choice on a route where demand is supported by tourism, business, education, exhibitions, fashion, manufacturing links, and cultural trips.

What Exactly Air China Launched

This refers to a direct route between Milan Malpensa Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport. According to Milan Airports, flights are operated daily, and the line is served by the Airbus A330-300. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) separately reported that this route became the first regular non-stop passenger line from Daxing to Italy. On the Italian side, the emphasis is on the fact that Malpensa became the first airport in Italy with direct access to the new Beijing hub.

The route complements Air China's existing presence in Milan. From Malpensa, the carrier now serves four Chinese destinations: Beijing Capital, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Beijing Daxing. This is an important signal for the market, as the airline is not simply adding a separate seasonal flight, but is forming a broader Chinese network from Milan. For the passenger, this may mean more options regarding dates, fares, and further connections within China.

At the same time, it is important to understand the difference between the two Beijing airports. Beijing Capital (PEK) is the older and well-known international hub through which routes to Beijing were built for decades. Beijing Daxing (PKX) is a new large airport in the south of the capital, created to redistribute traffic and for long-term growth. If a traveler has a connection, a meeting in the city, or a domestic flight further into China, they need to carefully check which airport they arrive at and from where the next segment departs.

Why This Is Important for Tourists

For tourists from Italy and neighboring regions, the new flight makes China more accessible, not through an abstract increase in the number of planes, but through specific convenience: a direct flight from the main intercontinental airport of Northern Italy to the second large airport of Beijing. This can be useful for those planning a trip to the capital of China, a Beijing - Shanghai route, a journey through historical sites, or a combined program with domestic flights.

Milan also remains an important point for foreign tourists arriving in Italy. Malpensa serves not only Lombardy, but also the wider tourist market of Northern Italy: Milan, Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, Bergamo, Turin, ski resorts, as well as business and exhibition events. An additional direct flight from Beijing potentially supports inbound tourism, especially if Chinese travelers return to Europe more actively after a period of instability and cautious recovery of long-haul trips.

For those arriving in Milan late in the evening or having an early flight, it is worth checking hotels near Malpensa Airport in advance. And if a transfer to the center of Milan, the lakes, or another region is planned, the page about transfers and taxis from Milan Malpensa will help. For the Chinese direction, logistics in Beijing are equally important: Daxing is not located where Capital is, so the time to the hotel, station, or business district needs to be calculated separately.

What Changes for the Italy - China Aviation Market

The new flight fits into a broader trend of recovery and reformatting of aviation connections between Europe and China. After several years when long routes depended on restrictions, geopolitics, fuel costs, and passenger caution, carriers are again selectively expanding their networks. But they do this not everywhere at once, but where there is mixed demand: tourism, business, family trips, cargo potential, and the ability to connect to an internal network.

Malpensa in this sense looks like a logical choice. It is the main long-haul airport of Milan and one of the key international gateways of Italy. The presence of several Air China destinations to China strengthens competition with other European hubs through which passengers previously could fly with a layover: Frankfurt, Paris, Vienna, Istanbul, or Doha. A direct flight will not always be the cheapest, but it reduces route complexity, decreases the risk of a missed connection, and makes the trip more understandable for those who do not want to change planes in a third country.

For Daxing, this is also a demonstrative step. The airport is gradually gaining more international routes and must compete not only as beautiful infrastructure, but as a real hub for passengers. A direct connection with Milan adds Daxing to the map of European destinations that may be interesting for both Chinese outbound tourism and Europeans flying to China or further into Asia.

What to Note Before Booking

Despite the positive news, travelers should not view the launch of the route as a guarantee of perfectly simple planning. Before buying a ticket, it is necessary to check at least five things: the actual arrival airport in Beijing, connection time, baggage conditions, entry rules for China, and the conditions for changing or returning the ticket. This is especially important if the route includes two different Beijing airports, a domestic Chinese flight, or separate tickets from different airlines.

  • Check the airport code: PKX means Beijing Daxing, PEK - Beijing Capital.
  • Do not plan a short self-transfer between PKX and PEK: these are different airports, and the journey between them can take significant time.
  • Clarify visa or visa-free conditions in advance based on your passport, purpose of trip, and duration of stay.
  • If flying to Milan for tourism, book ground transport taking into account the time for control and baggage collection.
  • Compare the direct flight with connecting options not only by price, but also by the risk of delays, overnight connections, and additional costs.

Separately, it is worth remembering about the seasonality of demand. Summer flights between Europe and Asia often depend on tourist holidays, the exhibition calendar, student trips, and business events. If the route gains stable loading, it may become long-term useful for travelers. If demand is uneven, airlines may change the schedule, aircraft type, or frequency. Therefore, even after the launch of the route, it is reasonable to check the current schedule closer to the date of trip.

What This Means for Milan and Beijing

For Milan, the direct flight to Daxing reinforces the city's status as a gateway not only to Italy, but also to the wider European tourist space. Chinese tourists can use Malpensa for travels through Lombardy, Piedmont, Switzerland, or the northern lakes, and European passengers can use it as a convenient departure point to China. For business, this also matters: direct routes often facilitate participation in exhibitions, meetings, production trips, and short visits, where every layover adds risk and fatigue.

For Beijing, the new connection with Milan helps distribute international traffic between the two large airports of the capital. Daxing was conceived as a long-term tool for the development of the city's aviation system, and international European flights should make it more visible to foreign passengers. At the same time, travelers need to get used to the new map of Beijing: the choice between PEK and PKX affects the transfer, hotel, meetings, and further routes.

Overall, the launch of Milan Malpensa - Beijing Daxing should be viewed as a practical reinforcement, rather than a one-time ceremonial news item. It adds a direct daily option between two important economic and tourist centers, supports the recovery of long-haul demand and makes travel planning between Italy and China more flexible. The best strategy for the passenger is to use the new flight as an additional opportunity, but check the details just as carefully as for any intercontinental route: airport, time, documents, baggage, connections, and ground logistics.