AIR TRAVELERS: “PASSENGERS BEFORE PARCELS” IN U.S./CHINA
A business air travelers’ lobbying group told U.S. Department of Transportation officials to put “passengers before parcels” in their decision to award flight rights between the U.S. and China.“High business airfares — not air-cargo rates — are where major problems lie in air transport, and where the airline competition debate has been focused for three years,” said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition in a letter to Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater.
Under the terms of a recently negotiated air services treaty with China, the U.S. government can select one U.S. airline to serve China. DOT has the option to grant the flight rights to a cargo or a combination passenger/cargo carrier.
Cargo airlines, Polar Air Cargo and UPS, and passenger airlines, American and Delta, have applied for the new rights.
