Air China Ltd will launch its joint operating agreement with the Shanghai Railway Administration on Dec 1, the latest move by a Chinese airline to make high-speed rail a partner rather than a competitor.

Passengers will be able to buy high-speed rail tickets between Shanghai and four nearby cities — Suzhou, Hangzhou, Changzhou and Wuxi — when booking tickets on Air China's flights arriving or departing from one of the two airports in Shanghai.

Air China is also working on connecting the railway with its international flights and exploring more junction cities, said Jin Yingjie, deputy general manager of Air China's marketing department.

Air China is not the first carrier to make such a deal.

China Eastern Airlines Co Ltd started to sell high-speed rail tickets at the end of April, and Hainan Airlines Co Ltd has connected its flights with the high-speed rail in Hainan province since April.

The rail system's four main north-south routes, which are expected to be completed this year, will heighten competition with airlines, and the agreements may be a way for airlines to better compete, some business insiders have said.