Buoyed by the success of its 2008 Olympic packages for Indians, Air China plans to start new services from Kolkata and Mumbai to Beijing from next year, which will help it handle the growing air traffic.

"The rapid growth of traffic between India and China has come as a big surprise. We have already booked over 200 Beijing Olympic packages from India, which include hotel rooms and free game tickets for the business class travellers," Zhao Quanzhen, the airline's Country Manager in India said.

To questions on the Chinese carrier's expansion plans in the country, he said "we may start operations to Mumbai and Kolkata any time, but definitely next year."

Air China wants to use its unutilised bilateral air traffic rights, which enables it to operate in five Indian cities and mount 21 flights. At present, the airline operates only four times a week between Delhi and Beijing.

"Not even one-third of our traffic rights are being utilised now," he said, adding that the first priority would be to launch daily services to and from the India's capital.

Asked about the delay in launching services to other major metros, Zhao said a major factor was shortage of pilots, a problem plaguing the Indian aviation sector also.

Describing India as a major strategic market, he said the traffic was "only a very small fraction of the potential. But the traffic is growing very fast."