Continental Airlines said it has applied to the US Department of
Transportation to provide the first non-stop US carrier service
between New York and Shanghai in spring 2009.
The US-based airline plans to operate the daily service with a
285-seat Boeing 777 aircraft.
Continental seeks the route award as part of a new landmark
aviation agreement signed in July 2007 that provides extensive
additional air service opportunities between the US and China over
the next six years.
The company said the launch of the proposed flight will provide
additional flight choices for the large Asian and Chinese American
population in New York as well as people in the US as a whole.
The Continental Airlines added it also plans to provide through
flight service between Cleveland and Shanghai via New York.
The airline has more than 3,100 daily departures throughout the
America, Europe and Asia, serving 144 domestic and 138
international destinations. It is the only carrier that provides
non-stop daily flights from Beijing, Hong Kong to New York.
(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2007)
