American Airlines seeks new China route

FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines (AAL) wants to expand service to Asia with nonstop flights between Dallas and Beijing starting next summer.

If approved, the new flights would give American nonstop service to five Asian cities from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. It already flies from its DFW hub to Hong Kong; Shanghai; Tokyo; and Seoul, South Korea.

"The pending addition of Beijing and recent additions of Shanghai and Hong Kong elevate Dallas/Fort Worth to one of the primary connecting hubs between Asia and destinations within the U.S. as well as Mexico, Central and South America," said American's chief marketing officer Andrew Nocella in a press release.

The route would be operated by a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, the airline said.

American currently lags United Airlines (UAL) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) in Asia and also faces growing competition from Asian carriers that fly directly to the U.S.