An ex-Air China station managerr based in New York pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of the Chinese government.
Prosecutors allege Ying Lin used her position to smuggle documents and packages out of the US aboard Air China flights.
She took possession of packages from military and diplomatic officials. .
She was compensated with gifts including Apple devise and other services.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The department of justice said Lin ‘wrongly facilitated the transport of packages to China aboard Air Carrier flights at the behest of the PRC military officers and in violation of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations.’
"The defendant’s actions as an agent of the Chinese government helped Chinese military officers to evade U.S. law enforcement scrutiny of packages that they sent from New York to Beijing," United States attorney Richard Donoghue said.
She worked for state-run Air China for more than a decade based in New York.
The trial was scheduled for next month prior to the guilty plea.
As part of the plea, Ms Lin agreed to penalties of about $170,000.
The airline was not accused of any wrongdoing.
