American Airlines plans to launch its new flight to Beijing from Los Angeles in November, after securing economically viable slots at the Chinese airport.
The Fort Worth-based Oneworld Alliance carrier plans to begin daily service on 5 November, it says in a filing with the US Department of Transportation today. It has previously said it will use a 289-seat Boeing 777-200 on the route.
Schedule:
Los Angeles (LAX) 11:10am Departure ? Beijing (PEK) 4:20pm (+1) Arrival
Beijing (PEK) 6:30pm Departure ? Los Angeles (LAX) 3:15pm Arrival
Despite having the necessary air rights, there was another problem — there were no slots available at PEK. However, as reported by Flight Global, American was successful at securing one thanks to a $200 million investment in China Southern Airlines that hinged on a slot exchange. “American explored all options to obtain commercially viable slots at PEK and we’re pleased those efforts were successful,” a spokesman for American says, adding that all slots are awarded by Chinese regulators.
