A favorable ruling from the Department of Transportation (DOT) late last week means that American Airlines will begin operating its long-delayed Los Angeles-Beijing service on Nov. 5.
Early this month, the carrier had asked the DOT for an extension to the Sept. 16 start-up deadline for the daily service after finally securing departure and landing rights at Beijing Capital Airport. But those slots won't be available until Oct. 29. In an Aug. 7 application, American said it would need one more week, until Nov. 5, to reposition aircraft and make other service adjustments ahead of launching the flight.
"We see no persuasive reason to withhold approval of American's requested extension," the DOT said in the Aug. 17 ruling.
The flight is the last available service from the U.S. to Beijing under the existing U.S.-China aviation agreement. American won the right to operate the route last November, beating out Delta in a competitive selection process. In awarding the route to American, the DOT accepted the carrier's argument that competition would be fostered by having a third U.S. airline flying from the West Coast to Beijing. Delta flies to Beijing from Seattle and United goes to the Chinese capital from San Francisco.
American initially planned to launch the route last winter, but in March the DOT awarded it a six-month extension on the start date due to the difficulties it was having obtaining the departure and landing slots from Chinese authorities.
American will compete with Air China on the Los Angeles-Beijing route, according to the website Flight Connections.