More Airlines Take to China's Skies

Following Tuesday's announcement that federal officials awarded Delta Air Lines and United Airlines with the first rights to launch nonstop services between the U.S. and China, American Airlines, Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines on Wednesday all announced, they too, had received tentative approval to fly nonstop between the U.S. and China. Delta's and United's flights will launch in early 2008, while American's, Continental's and Northwest's services will come to fruition in 2009, all pending foreign government approval.

American's flights will operate between Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Beijing, China, using a 245-seat Boeing 777 aircraft with a three-class configuration. Northwest will fly to Shanghai from Detroit, using Boeing 787 aircraft. Continental, meanwhile, also will operate flights to Shanghai from New Jersey's Newark International Airport and Cleveland Hopkins Airport, stating that it would announce further details once the route receives approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Delta will operate service between its Atlanta hub and Shanghai, China, the first time the carrier will fly to China. The airline will fly the new Atlanta-Shanghai route using Boeing 777 aircraft that would offer Delta's revamped BusinessElite class.

United's route rights are between San Francisco and Guangzhou, bringing United's amount of daily nonstop flights to China to six. Services begin in the spring of 2008 and also will be operated using Boeing 777 aircraft that offer all three classes of service.