DOT grants coveted China route to DC neighbor United

Citing the "potential to benefit the greatest number of passengers," the US Dept. of Transportation yesterday awarded United Airlines the tentative right to operate a new daily service between Washington Dulles and Beijing as early as March 25, thus ending months of lobbying by the four legacy carriers hoping to fly nonstop to the world's fastest-growing large aviation market.

"As difficult as the final choice will be, ultimately the goal is to do everything in our power to expand service, destinations and frequencies between the United States and China," Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said. DOT said that more people from the Washington area travel to China than from any US city without nonstop service and that United's proposal offered more than 253,000 seats per year, more than its three competitors.

UA said 68,000 of the Washington area's more than 8 million residents traveled to China in 2005. American Airlines proposed to operate the service from Dallas/Fort Worth to Beijing via Chicago O'Hare, Continental Airlines from Newark to Shanghai and Northwest Airlines from Detroit to Shanghai.

United and NWA are the only US carriers flying the 747-400 and UA intends to use it on the route. Aircraft will be configured in three classes and seat 347 passengers. Codeshare agreements with future Star Alliance partners Air China and Shanghai Airlines will make 16 connections available from Beijing, while US Airways will codeshare on the transpacific flight.

"We applaud [DOT] on their fair and thorough process and for putting the interest of the nation and the traveling public first," UA Chairman, President and CEO Glenn Tilton said.

Each of the four airlines presented petitions, arguments, websites and a variety of supportive government and business officials to further their causes (ATWOnline, Sept. 21, 2006). AA, which sought to amend its initial proposal to include the ORD stop in order to accommodate its labor agreement with pilots (ATWOnline, Dec. 12, 2006), said its application "would have brought new service to an underserved area of the country and offered enhanced competition in the ever-growing China marketplace." NWA and CO did not release responses. Interested parties have 14 days to file objections, DOT said yesterday.