DOT grants China cargo rights to four carriers

DOT grants China cargo rights to four carriers    The U.S. Department of Transportation finalized its Feb. 22 decision to grant all-cargo rights for China to FedEx, UPS, Northwest Airlines and Polar Air Cargo and new entry into the U.S./China passenger market for American Airlines.
   The four cargo airlines already serving the market receive three additional weekly flights beginning March 25, 2006. American received seven weekly flights serving the Chicago/Shanghai market.
   The new rights are a byproduct of last year’s bilateral aviation agreement between the United States and China that opened up the aviation market.
   Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta toured the UPS Worldport hub in Louisville, Ky., Friday to underscore the importance of opening markets to American companies and how the extra UPS flights would create jobs.
   UPS operates 12 weekly U.S./China flights and that number will increase to 18 this year. The new frequencies will allow UPS to offer seven-day-a-week service to Guangzhou and increase capacity to Shanghai on the two busiest days of the week, Thursday and Saturday. The frequencies also create volume needed for UPS to establish a regional air hub in Shanghai.
   Continental was previously awarded seven weekly passenger flights between Newark/New York and Beijing beginning March 25, becoming the first U.S. carrier to operate nonstop service to China from the New York area.