US Airways plans PHL-Tel Aviv service

American Airlines has become the latest major U.S. airline – along with United, Northwest and US Airways – to ask the Transportation Department for permission to delay a new route to China. American was due to launch its new Chicago O’Hare-Beijing non-stop service next spring, but it told DOT it would prefer to put it off until April of 2010. American blamed the delay request on “the extraordinary adverse market and operating conditions affecting the entire airline industry,” especially the rise in fuel costs. All six U.S. legacy airlines won new non-stop rights to China in DOT’s last round of route awards, following vicious lobbying battles for what were then thought to be lucrative new market opportunities.

Meanwhile, US Airways said it intends to add its first flights beyond Europe in July of 2009, when it will begin daily non-stop service between its Philadelphia hub and Tel Aviv. The U.S.-to-Israel market is actually growing, according to the Israel Ministry of Tourism. It said a record 500,000 Americans visited during 2007, and the numbers for the first two quarters of 2008 are again showing year-over-year increases.