BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Air China, the nation's largest international carrier, increased the number of flights between Beijing and San Francisco from five times a week to daily from Sunday.

    The adding of two more flights on Mondays and Wednesdays would better meet increasing passenger demand on the air route, said thecompany.

    Flight CA 985 will depart Beijing at 3:30 p.m. (Beijing time) and arrive in San Francisco at 12:10 p.m (local time) the same day. Flight CA986 will depart San Francisco at 2:20 p.m. and arrive in Beijing at 5:05 p.m. the next day.

    Zhang Lan, vice president of Air China, said, "The daily flights will also help us seize more market share in America's mid-west."

    She said the company was the only Chinese carrier offering nonstop flights from China to San Francisco and Los Angeles, the two major destinations in the western United States. It also offered direct flights from Beijing to both New York and Vancouver.

    The carrier, based in Beijing, flies to 74 domestic and 38 overseas cities.