The U.S. gave United Airlines the lucrative right to start flying nonstop between China and Washington, D.C. But what about Cascadia?
Flights between China and the U.S. are tightly regulated, largely because China wants to protect its developing airline industry. The U.S. chose the United flight to Beijing over Continental, which wanted to fly to Shanghai from New York, and American, which wanted to fly to Beijing from Dallas. United's case reportedly was helped because Washington, D.C., is the largest U.S. metropolitan area without China service.
Now the scramble begins for the next new route, to be awarded in 2008. Seattle is the second-largest U.S. metro area without China service, according to this press release issued during the Chinese president's visit to Seattle last year. Nonstops help business and tourism, but Seattle hasn't had one to China for several years. (Note that Vancouver has daily flights to three Chinese cities.)