The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has granted Air China (CA, Beijing Capital) exemption authority to launch its Shenzhen-Los Angeles International service a week after American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth) withdrew an objection to the application.
American Airlines had objected to the application in February citing unfair treatment by Chinese authorities in the allocation of commercially viable slots at Chinese airports to US carriers on a reciprocal basis. AA was, and is still, seeking landing and take-off slots at Beijing Capital needed for it to launch its Los Angeles-Beijing service.
However, in a filing lodged with the DOT last week, AA said it had now made "sufficient progress" in securing the aforementioned Beijing slots to warrant the withdrawal of its objection.
"Though the matter is not fully resolved, sufficient progress has been made, and American anticipates that it will secure the necessary PEK slots to inaugurate its Los Angeles-Beijing service later this year," it said. "Based on the progress to date, American hereby withdraws its Answer to Air China’s Application for exemption authority to launch Los Angeles-Shenzhen service."
Air China has stated that it intends to start a 3x weekly Shenzhen-Los Angeles service using B787-9 aircraft effective July 6, 2017.
