Two important airlines of the United States, which only a couple of months ago, had won federal consent for introducing new flight services on much sought-after routes to China are now deferring the move due to rising fuel costs. The request to do so from these airlines has come at a time when the airline industry in the US fears multi-billion dollar losses this year because of increased fuel prices and a plummeting economy.

 

Spokespersons from these airlines stated on Thursday 22 May that United Airlines has achieved the consent to defer flights to China, whereas the US Airways wants to ask for a one-year postponement of services to the said route. It was also informed that the US Airways had got the tentative green signal from the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch the routes from September onwards.

 

The air routes from the US to China in question comprise United service between San Francisco to Guangzhou and US Airways flights between Philadelphia and Beijing. Getting hold of air routes between US and China by airlines is a difficult task because it is governed by the bilateral agreement between the two countries.