American Airlines requests one-year delay for Chicago-Beijing flights
02 Sep 2008
American Airlines has requested the US Department of Transportation for a waiver that will let the airline delay its launch of non-stop service between Chicago and Beijing by one year.
The Dow Jones report that revealed the airline's request said that the high cost of fuel, along with issues plaguing the airline industry were the reasons behind American Airlines seeking this waiver. Access to routes between the US and China is highly competitive as air services between the two nations are governed by strict bilateral agreements.
The airline now place to start the service on 14 April, 2010, against the original launch date of 9 April, 2009.
Earlier in the year, Northwest Airlines had sought and received permission from the government to suspend its seven weekly all-cargo flights between the US and Guangzhou for a period of year.
