United gets L.A. airport authority nod for daily China service
The Los Angeles Airport Commission on Monday endorsed a proposal by United Airlines for the start-up of a daily nonstop service to China from Los Angeles International Airport.
Last month Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed off on the Chicago-based airline's proposal. The Los Angeles City Council gave its blessing last week.
According to an application filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation early last month, United proposes to offer daily nonstop service between Los Angeles and Shanghai beginning in 2009, and between San Francisco and Guangzhou in 2008.
The city estimates that the two routes will generate about $165 million a year in wages and create 3,120 jobs.
Seven nonstop flights to China are operated by U.S. airlines. Northwest Airlines also operates three connecting flights via Tokyo, and numerous Asian carriers such as Korean Airlines offer similar connecting flights to China. A U.S.-China pact reached in May limited the number of new China nonstop flights by U.S. carriers to six over the next three years. Under terms of the pact, one new route will be allowed this year, another next year and the remaining four in 2009.
The DOT is expected to decide who will get the routes before the end of the year.
United gets L.A. airport authority nod for daily China service
