United Airlines on Tuesday filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation for authority to begin a daily nonstop service between Los Angeles (LAX) and Shanghai (PVG), which is scheduled to start on May 20, 2011.
The company said in a statement that it has also applied for authority to place its CO code, from Continental Airlines, on United-operated flights between the two cities.
United said the proposed daily flights from Los Angeles will depart at 1:33pm local time and arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 5:55pm local time the next day. Service from Shanghai, beginning May 21, 2011, will depart at 7:50pm local time and arrive in Los Angeles at 4:47pm local the same day.
The filing comes just 10 days after American Airlines applied to serve the same route. If approved, American’s flights would begin on April 5, 2011.
United, that intends to operate the service with three-cabin Boeing 777 aircraft, is currently serving Shanghai daily from Chicago and San Francisco and Continental serves the city from New York/Newark (EWR).
Continental Airlines and United Airlines are currently merging to create the world’s largest airline, called United Airlines.
With reporting by Matt Molnar
