New services, deals

Hainan Airlines

Hainan Airlines is applying for more routes to international cities, according to a note posted on the website of the Civil Aviation Administration of China on Wednesday.

The company said it plans to open a route from Shenzhen in South China’s Guangdong Province to Paris in November this year, with three frequencies per week, as well as a route from Chongqing to Paris in October this year, with two flights per week. If approved, these new routes will fly with Boeing 787 aircraft.

American Airlines

American Airlines said on Wednesday that it will end its nonstop service from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to Beijing on October 20.

The route has performed poorly for several years and as part of its long term strategy for a sustainable future, the company has to make changes in its network to allow for more profitable flying, according to a note sent to the Global Times.

The company has lost money on this route every year since 2010 and the current environment severely limits its ability to compete in this market, the company added.

When asked the question if there are any plans to open more routes in China, especially after the new airport is opened in Beijing next year, the company said it is filing for dormancy with hopes to revive the Chicago-Beijing route.

Cathay Pacific

The network of Hong Kongbased Cathay Pacific Group is continuing to grow from strength to strength, with its regional airline Cathay Dragon planning to introduce two new services, one to Davao City and the other to Medan, from October 28 and 29, respectively.

The flight to Davao City, the main trade, business and tourism center on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, will run four times a week.

Meanwhile, the flight to Medan, capital of North Sumatra in Indonesia, will run three times per week.

The new routes, the only nonstop flights between Hong Kong and Davao City and Hong Kong and Medan, will both be operated by Airbus A320 aircraft.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines said it plans to operate an A350 on the Shanghai (Pudong) to Los Angeles route from July 3.

By this summer, China will be the most A350-served market in Delta’s trans-Pacific network.

The company also said its newest international long-haul flagship aircraft, the Airbus A350-900, was introduced to its nonstop service from Shanghai Pudong International Airport to Detroit Metropolitan Airport in the US on April 21, making Delta the world’s first airline to operate the A350 on routes from Shanghai to North America.

Also, Delta introduced the A350 to the Beijing-Detroit route in January.