Following recent federal approval from the United States, United Airlines has launched direct flight service from Beijing to Washington DC. The first flight to Beijing from Washington DC flew in late March 2007.
Currently, seven airlines offer direct flights to mainland China from US cities. Four US airlines and three Chinese airlines serve the routes between the United States and China. When the new slot opened, Northwest airlines attempted to enter the lucrative US-China market, however the option it presented, which would have seen flights to Beijing from Detroit, was rejected. United Airlines presented a case that highlighted the benefits of linking the two capitals.
It was with great enthusiasm that the first direct flight to Beijing was launched from the capital of the United States. Many seasoned travelers said this flight was delayed. For Chinese families living in the Washington area and for many government officials and business people, the direct flight to Beijing from Washington was good news.
The first nonstop flight from Washington DC arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport at 1:55 pm on March 29, 2007.
Previously, many East Coast travelers flew to China via Chicago, which could present problems when bad weather caused delays. Some travelers would even miss connecting flights due to the bad weather that is commonplace in Chicago. The direct flight from Chicago to Beijing has been operating since April 2001. United Airlines also operates this route.
As more and more Chinese benefit from the booming economy in that country, Chinese citizens are seizing the opportunity to travel to the United States. This has resulted in well-sponsored US-China air routes that attract great interest from airlines.
When the new slot between the US and Beijing opened last year, airports and airlines fought an uphill battle to secure the prized new route.
Ma Kezheng, a former diplomat who has previously lived in Washington, said it was the right decision and will bring the two capitals closer culturally. He was surprised that it took so long to open the route.
“It was difficult for me to travel to Beijing from Washington without the direct flight option,” Kezheng said.
United Airlines is using a 347-seat Boeing 747-400 to service the route. The flight time to Beijing from the American capital is around 13 and a half hours. In the past, East Coast travelers typically had to fly through Chicago to get to and from the Chinese capital.
Special ceremonies were held at the Washington airport prior to the departure of the inaugural flight to Beijing. One of the guests, Zheng Zeguang, a minister at the Chinese embassy, said the Beijing-Washington route increases the number of weekly flights serving the two countries from 105 to 119.
Travelers are hopeful that even more flights will be added in the future as there is a high demand for seats on a Beijing flight. The Chinese government is holding back further expansion of services to China while trying to protect domestic airlines from the competition that would come if it allowed the market to open up more.
The Washington-Beijing route will make a strong market even stronger as more travelers take to the skies.
