Hawaiian's decision not to apply for China flights before 2009 means Delta is almost a lock to win this year's new-entrant airline designation, although it is still unclear exactly when Delta would have to launch its proposed Atlanta-Shanghai service.
Last week, a Hawaiian spokesman told The DAILY the carrier will not contest the current round of China flight awards due to be awarded by the U.S. Transportation Dept. After running the numbers, Hawaiian determined that daily service between Hawaii and China is "not commercially viable" at the moment, the spokesman said.
A revised aviation agreement reached by the U.S. and China last month advanced the timetable for allocating new flights. The deal allows DOT to name one new-entrant carrier and allocate seven weekly flights this year. Delta, Hawaiian and US Airways had all expressed interest in launching China flights, but US Air recently said it will probably wait for the next new-entrant designation in 2009 because it won't have the appropriate aircraft in its fleet this year (DAILY, May 25).
Hawaiian "remains interested in serving China," the airline spokesman said. However, the difficulty faced by Chinese citizens in obtaining U.S. tourist visas reduces the feasibility of the route, the airline believes. Hawaiian will "continue to support [government] efforts" to remedy the visa problem and "clear the way" for future service, said the spokesman.
Ironically, the Chinese government also raised the visa issue during the series of negotiations with the U.S. government leading up to the new deal. The Chinese government believes the length of time it takes to get a tourist visa will make it harder for Chinese airlines to take advantage of increased service. The U.S. government assured the Chinese that it will streamline the visa process.
Meanwhile, Delta is not yet certain when it must begin its Shanghai flights if it wins this year's award, as expected. Before the latest U.S.-China deal advanced the timetable, Delta was expecting to launch the flights in March 2008, when it is scheduled to take delivery of its first Boeing 777-200LRs. Now, however, it appears the airline may have to begin service this year.
In announcing the application procedures last week, DOT said the selected carrier can begin the flights as early as Aug. 1. However, the flights are subject to a 90-day dormancy rule, meaning they could be revoked if not used within 90 days of the DOT's award decision.
DOT has not set a date for the final award, so it is impossible to gauge when the 90 days will expire. Also, DOT said it will "permit some flexibility" in the launch deadline, recognizing that the selected airline will have to obtain airport slots and Chinese government approvals. The airline "therefore may not be in a position to institute service within the range of our standard 90-day startup requirement," DOT said.
Although it is not yet setting a start date, Delta intends to meet any DOT deadline requirements, a Delta spokesman told The DAILY. The carrier can use 777-200ERs it already has in its fleet to operate the flights until the -200LRs arrive, he said.
The application procedure launched last week applies not only to this year's new-entrant designation, but to all flight awards through 2009. This includes an award for Guangzhou service in 2008 -- expected to go to United -- and three daily flights for incumbent carriers in 2009. American, Northwest and Continental are the likely front-runners for the 2009 awards.
Last week, a Hawaiian spokesman told The DAILY the carrier will not contest the current round of China flight awards due to be awarded by the U.S. Transportation Dept. After running the numbers, Hawaiian determined that daily service between Hawaii and China is "not commercially viable" at the moment, the spokesman said.
A revised aviation agreement reached by the U.S. and China last month advanced the timetable for allocating new flights. The deal allows DOT to name one new-entrant carrier and allocate seven weekly flights this year. Delta, Hawaiian and US Airways had all expressed interest in launching China flights, but US Air recently said it will probably wait for the next new-entrant designation in 2009 because it won't have the appropriate aircraft in its fleet this year (DAILY, May 25).
Hawaiian "remains interested in serving China," the airline spokesman said. However, the difficulty faced by Chinese citizens in obtaining U.S. tourist visas reduces the feasibility of the route, the airline believes. Hawaiian will "continue to support [government] efforts" to remedy the visa problem and "clear the way" for future service, said the spokesman.
Ironically, the Chinese government also raised the visa issue during the series of negotiations with the U.S. government leading up to the new deal. The Chinese government believes the length of time it takes to get a tourist visa will make it harder for Chinese airlines to take advantage of increased service. The U.S. government assured the Chinese that it will streamline the visa process.
Meanwhile, Delta is not yet certain when it must begin its Shanghai flights if it wins this year's award, as expected. Before the latest U.S.-China deal advanced the timetable, Delta was expecting to launch the flights in March 2008, when it is scheduled to take delivery of its first Boeing 777-200LRs. Now, however, it appears the airline may have to begin service this year.
In announcing the application procedures last week, DOT said the selected carrier can begin the flights as early as Aug. 1. However, the flights are subject to a 90-day dormancy rule, meaning they could be revoked if not used within 90 days of the DOT's award decision.
DOT has not set a date for the final award, so it is impossible to gauge when the 90 days will expire. Also, DOT said it will "permit some flexibility" in the launch deadline, recognizing that the selected airline will have to obtain airport slots and Chinese government approvals. The airline "therefore may not be in a position to institute service within the range of our standard 90-day startup requirement," DOT said.
Although it is not yet setting a start date, Delta intends to meet any DOT deadline requirements, a Delta spokesman told The DAILY. The carrier can use 777-200ERs it already has in its fleet to operate the flights until the -200LRs arrive, he said.
The application procedure launched last week applies not only to this year's new-entrant designation, but to all flight awards through 2009. This includes an award for Guangzhou service in 2008 -- expected to go to United -- and three daily flights for incumbent carriers in 2009. American, Northwest and Continental are the likely front-runners for the 2009 awards.
