One-Stop Service from Charlotte Proposed
TEMPE, Ariz., July 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- US Airways (NYSE: LCC)
launched a bid today for daily non-stop flights from Philadelphia to
Beijing that will bring new competitive options to China throughout the
East Coast and mid-Atlantic regions.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050223/LAW097LOGO )
If approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the flights would
begin in March 2009 and would be the first-ever service to Asia both for
the City of Philadelphia and under the US Airways' brand. US Airways will
further enhance this service by offering all-widebody, one-stop service
from its hub in Charlotte.
"US Airways' proposal will close a service gap by greatly improving
access to China for the large and dynamic Philadelphia market and by
offering travelers convenient one-stop connections from 37 cities into our
Philadelphia hub," said US Airways Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. "With our
commitment to grow our international presence through new markets and new
aircraft acquisitions, and our already strong presence in the U.S.-Europe
market, US Airways is well-positioned to take the next step with service to
China."
The airline is proposing seven weekly roundtrip flights serving more
than 150,000 travelers annually on wide-body Airbus A340 269-seat aircraft
between Philadelphia and Beijing. Service would originate in Charlotte on a
204-seat Boeing 767 aircraft.
The airline's case, detailed at http://www.usairways.com/china, is
supported by an extensive array of elected officials and business leaders
in Delaware, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Carolina
including U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Robert P. Casey, Jr., of
Pennsylvania; North Carolina Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr; and
a delegation from Delaware consisting of Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., Sen.
Thomas R. Carper and U.S. Rep. Michael N. Castle.
Below is a sampling of letters of support sent to U.S. Secretary of
Transportation Mary E. Peters.
Philadelphia Mayor John Street applauded US Airways' commitment to
growing international service from Philadelphia, and said service to China
would "exponentially increase the economic benefits to our region. We are
confident that the proven working relationship between the city and US
Airways will allow Philadelphia to become the next key gateway connecting
the United States and Asia."
Said Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory, "US Airways has always
demonstrated a willingness to meet with our community leaders in an effort
to respond to our international, as well as domestic, service needs. The
Charlotte-Europe service US Airways offers has become a valuable
transportation asset for our community. We have every confidence that
affording US Airways an opportunity to provide its first service to China
will represent a similarly important addition to our longstanding
relationship with US Airways."
North Carolina Gov. Michael F. Easley commented that "US Airways is
uniquely positioned to offer significant new service benefits to all of
those living throughout our state. New service from Charlotte to Beijing
will offer more convenience and an important new competitive option for
both business and tourism travel to China. US Airways' strong network
presence and longstanding community involvement throughout out state
assures that the valuable benefits of the first Charlotte-China service
will be enjoyed by travelers throughout North Carolina."
Said Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner: "US Airways' financial success and
dramatic expansion over the course of the past two years is strong evidence
of its ability to maximize the benefits of its significant hub presence
throughout the East and West coasts -- the same network benefits, which
along with US Airways' dedicated management, will assure the success of US
Airways' China service."
Philadelphia is the second largest U.S. metropolitan area without
nonstop service to China, just after Boston, and ahead of Dallas, Atlanta,
and Detroit.
One of the industry's most financially stable airlines, US Airways has
made significant investments in its Philadelphia hub since its merger with
America West in the fall of 2005, including a commitment to expand
international service from Philadelphia. Today, US Airways is the third
largest carrier between Europe and the U.S. in number of destinations
served, with flights to 19 European cities.
"Expansion to Asia is a logical next step for our airline, our 36,000
employees, and our customers," continued Parker. "We are well-positioned at
Philadelphia to conveniently serve both business and leisure travelers. At
the same time, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to Philadelphia as
US Airways' primary international hub."
US Airways currently serves 19 million customers annually at its
Philadelphia hub, and operates 448 daily flights to 106 destinations in the
United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America.
This summer the airline added international service to Athens, Greece;
Brussels, Belgium; and Zurich, Switzerland from Philadelphia, and will
begin offering year-round service between Philadelphia and Dublin, Ireland
this fall.
Facts on Philadelphia:
-- Fifth-largest metropolitan area in the United States with a population
of almost 6 million people
-- Second-largest U.S. metro area without nonstop service to China
-- Second-largest city on the East Coast.
-- Largest economy among U.S. metro areas without nonstop China service
About US Airways
US Airways is the fifth largest domestic airline employing more than
36,000 aviation professionals worldwide. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and
US Airways Express operate approximately 3,800 flights per day and serve
more than 230 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and
Latin America. The new US Airways -- the product of a merger between
America West and US Airways in September 2005 -- is a member of the Star
Alliance network, which offers our customers 16,000 daily flights to 855
destinations in 155 countries worldwide. This press release and additional
information on US Airways can be found at http://www.usairways.com. (LCCG)
-Fly with US-
SOURCE US Airways
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Related links:
http://www.usairways.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050223/LAW097LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
US Airways Media Relations, +1-480-693-5729
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