United prompts contest with additional Shanghai flight plans

United Airlines is seeking authority to launch a second flight between Newark and Shanghai in 2020, challenging duelling proposals from both American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The carrier plans to offer the second daily flight, which would allow it to offer morning and afternoon departures from both cities, with an up to 292-seat Boeing 777-200 from June 2020. The move pits United against Delta for the final 7 unallocated weekly China frequencies available to US carriers for a new flight to Shanghai from Minneapolis/St Paul, and American's request to keep 14 frequencies dormant for a year after suspending flights to both Beijing and Shanghai from Chicago O'Hare in October. The frequencies in question are for service to zone 1 cities Beijing, Guangzhou or Shanghai. <br/>