Fun New Route: Copenhagen to Reykjavik on... Air China?

Air China is about to become the first Asian carrier to serve Iceland — but the twist is you don't need to be flying anywhere near China to use it.

Starting on October 26, 2026, the airline will fly a 3x-weekly fifth-freedom route from Beijing (PEK) to Copenhagen (CPH) to Keflavik (KEF), meaning Air China holds full pickup and drop-off rights on the Copenhagen-to-Keflavik leg, so you can book just the Denmark-to-Iceland leg.

The route runs on an Airbus A330-300 with 301 seats, including 30 flat-bed business class seats in a 2-2-2 layout. This flight will be the only year-round flat-bed option to Iceland once it launches.

Andrew's Take

Fifth freedom flights are always worth watching, and this one's a fun one. If you're the type to book flights just to try a new product, keep an eye on award space here; a short flat-bed hop like this could turn into an easy way to sample Air China business class without committing to a full long-haul routing.