DOT Reveals List of New U.S.-China Routes

The U.S. Department of Transportation finalized its decision on U.S.-China routes, awarding rights that will let four U.S. carriers offer new daily service to China in 2009, including the first-ever U.S.-China service for US Airways.

Under the approved rights, US Airways will fly from Philadelphia to Beijing, beginning on or about March 25, 2009. Also beginning or about the same date will be Chicago-Beijing service by American, Newark-Shanghai by Continental and Detroit-Shanghai by Northwest.

This comes on top of the new-route awards the DOT already finalized earlier this year to let Delta begin daily Atlanta-Shanghai service and United to begin daily San Francisco-Guangzhou service in spring 2008.

If all new China services take off as planned, five U.S. carriers will be operating 112 flights a week to China in 2009. That’s up from 70 flights by four U.S. carriers as of September.

The DOT is able to award rights for the new services under a new aviation agreement the U.S. and China signed in July to allow more airline service between the two countries.