On August 29 Thursday, United Airlines officially reinstated its nonstop service between Los Angeles and Shanghai, marking a significant step in reconnecting the two cities.
The event was celebrated with great fanfare at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), where United Airlines and airport executives gathered to mark the occasion. Passengers were treated to thoughtfully curated special gifts, and a live cultural performance by a Chinese actor added a vibrant touch to the festivities.
United Airlines announced that the Los Angeles-Shanghai route will initially operate four times a week. Flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Shanghai (PVG, UA198) will depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, while flights from Shanghai (PVG) to Los Angeles (LAX, UA199) will take off on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. By the end of October, the frequency will increase to a daily service.
The COVID-19 pandemic had severely restricted flights between the United States and China, leading to United Airlines suspending its nonstop Los Angeles-Shanghai flights in February 2020.
Following China’s decision to lift quarantine requirements for inbound travelers in early 2023, international flights experienced a surge in demand, with many routes returning to pre-pandemic levels. However, the resumption of flights between the U.S. and China has been slower, hampered by ongoing air rights negotiations and route complications arising from U.S. sanctions on Russia.
In February of this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that starting March 31, it would permit Chinese airlines to increase their weekly round-trip flights to the U.S. to 50. Under the principle of reciprocity, the total number of direct flights between the two countries will reach 100 per week, about one-third of pre-pandemic levels. United Airlines also announced at that time that it would resume its Los Angeles-Shanghai service in August.
Currently, the 50 flight slots allocated to U.S. airlines for routes to and from China are not fully utilized. United Airlines leads in the number of direct flights between the U.S. and China. Once the Los Angeles-Shanghai route returns to daily service as planned, and combined with the San Francisco-Shanghai and San Francisco-Beijing routes, the airline will operate 21 direct flights between the U.S. and China each week.
As for the other two U.S. carriers, Delta Air Lines operates 14 weekly flights, offering daily service between Detroit and Shanghai, as well as between Seattle and Shanghai. However, Delta’s Los Angeles-Shanghai route has yet to resume. American Airlines currently operates seven weekly flights between Dallas and Shanghai.
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