US airlines wins approval for daily flight between Washington, Beijing
9/2/2007 16:20
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) yesterday confirmed United
Airlines has won the final approval for a daily non-stop flight between
Washington DC and Beijing.
"Today's action finalizes DOT's tentative decision
to award the seven weekly frequencies to United, whose bid the department
determined would serve the most customers and provide the best service to the
traveling public," the department said in a statement.
The new nonstop
service would begin on March 25 between Washington Dulles International Airport
and Beijing's China Beijing Capital Airport.
Four US carriers, American,
United, Continental and Northwest, had been rallying support to win the rights
for the only flight opening to the fast-growing China market. And at last,
United Airlines won the approval.
"If there are two countries in this world
that understand the need for fast, efficient and convenient service, it's the
United States and China," Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters said.
"That's why we are making it a lot easier to travel between the capital cities
of the world's two most dynamic economies starting later next month."
The US
and Chinese governments each are awarding rights to a local carrier for seven
flights a week connecting the two countries, under an aviation agreement signed
in July 2004
But Secretary Peters said that recent talks between the two
countries aimed at increasing flight frequencies for both passenger and cargo
service, and said she plans to travel to China this spring to discuss
liberalization of the US-China aviation agreement.
"It is clear that the
market could support much more service, so we are redoubling our efforts to
liberalize our aviation agreement with China," she said.
Xinhua
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