New flights mark DFW's first passenger service into China's capital.
DFW AIRPORT, TEXAS – Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport held a celebration in honor of the first American Airlines flight from DFW to Beijing, China, which departed to open a new connection between North Texas and one of the world’s leading economic centers. The departure was celebrated with Asian cultural displays, music and cuisine inside DFW’s International Terminal D, along with a DFW “shower of affection” water cannon salute for the departing aircraft. American is serving the route daily with Boeing 777-200ER aircraft to start, and will switch to a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in June.
“This new flight to Beijing is a milestone achievement for our Airport and for our region as we gain nonstop connectivity to one of the world’s leading business centers and the capital of China,” said Sean Donohue, CEO of DFW International Airport. “We want to thank our partners at American Airlines for extending their service from DFW to key points in Asia such as Beijing. Our mission to connect the world to Dallas/Fort Worth will get a great boost from this new traffic from Beijing, and will open new avenues of trade and tourism for our region.”
“The launch of today’s flight is a significant milestone for American as we continue to grow our presence in the important Asia-Pacific region,” said Doug Parker, chairman and CEO of American Airlines. “With this new service to Beijing, American now offers nonstop service from Dallas/Fort Worth to five key business markets in Asia – Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. This new destination further enhances our network footprint and allows for one-stop connections through DFW between Asia and major business and leisure destinations in North, Central and South America.”
The Beijing service will add to DFW Airport’s stature as the prime connecting point for travelers moving between Asia and Latin America. The new route will also connect one of the world’s most populous metropolitan regions with one of the fastest growing metropolitan regions in the United States. Beijing serves not only as China’s governmental capital, but also as the center of China’s business, financial, industrial and cultural activities, and a primary destination for tourists.
“Today marks the beginning of a new phase in our growing business relationship with the trans-Pacific market,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “It’s a critical connection that will open new doors for trade and tourism in our region. The direct DFW-Beijing connection will continue to elevate our region as an international business epicenter.”
“This is an exciting day for Dallas/Fort Worth area residents who will have direct access to China’s capital city for the first time,” said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. “This new route will connect our great Metroplex to a very important destination in Asia and will play a key role in further strengthening ties between our region and Asia. We are proud to have American Airlines as a Fort Worth company and are confident that this flight and upcoming flights will not only increase DFW Airport’s profile, but the region’s profile as an international destination.”
American’s new service from DFW to Beijing comes less than a year after the Fort Worth-based carrier began flying from DFW to Hong Kong and to Shanghai. The Beijing route extends the most prolific period of international air service expansion in DFW Airport history, which has seen DFW add 21 new international destinations and 29 new international routes over the past four and a half years. DFW now hosts flights to a total of 204 destinations, including 55 international markets and 149 domestic airports.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the home airport for one of the fastest growing metropolitan regions in the United States. Beijing Capital International Airport is the world’s second busiest airport in the world for passenger traffic, while DFW Airport ranks ninth. The two airports last year forged a partnership agreement for the exchange of best practices and training.
In its 41-year history, DFW Airport has grown into one of the world’s preeminent global hubs, now serving over 62 million passengers annually. Customer-centric features such as one of the world’s most robust free Wi-Fi systems, a yoga studio and newly-added lounges, restaurants and amenities for customers have kept DFW as a top choice for both business and leisure travelers.
DFW is one of only seven airports worldwide with nonstop service to over 200 destinations, offering many connection options for travelers looking to fly to points beyond DFW including Mexico, Central America and South America. The Airport’s central geographical location in the United States positions it as the premier mid-continent entry point for North America and a key global hub, allowing for more efficient travel to both U.S. and international destinations. DFW is located within a four-hour flight of every major city in the continental United States, Canada and Mexico.
American Airlines expands customers’ entertainment options
American Airlines is putting entertainment options in the hands of more customers by launching its streaming video service on more than 200 additional aircraft in its domestic mainline fleet.
American has already equipped more than 500 aircraft with seat-back video and streaming with its American Spotlight entertainment service. In May, American will add streaming to its fleet of Airbus A319s, A320s and A321s, with plans for some international widebody aircraft, further expanding customers’ access to inflight entertainment options in all cabins.
“With the expansion of our digital entertainment, customers traveling on the majority of our mainline aircraft will know they have inflight entertainment available through their personal device or on the seatback in front of them,” says Fernand Fernandez, American’s vice president – Global Marketing. “Our customers have asked for entertainment no matter which cabin they prefer to fly, and we’re delivering.”
To celebrate the hundreds of hours of entertainment available on American Spotlight, American is inviting customers to enjoy select movies free of charge through the streaming service. Through June 30, customers can view any of the following six movies.
- Big Hero 6
- Captain America
- Frozen
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Into The Woods
- Maleficent
In addition, American always offers free, exclusive programming from NBC Universal through streaming, seat-back and overhead entertainment.
The programming is stored on aircraft hardware, ensuring that customers receive high quality streaming; it is offered in addition to air-to-ground Wi-Fi service already offered on all mainline narrow body aircraft.
First-time streaming viewers simply open their browser, look for the Entertainment option and accept Gogo’s invitation to install the Gogo Video Player plug-in, which can be downloaded quickly even during a flight.
They can then start the viewing process by browsing the free and paid content – approximately 200 movies and 200 TV shows.
American already offers complimentary entertainment on all international flights in all cabins and has announced plans for more international Wi-Fi and onboard power ports as part of its $2 billion investment in the customer experience. These investments include more fully lie-flat seats; upgraded aircraft interior, and an improved airport experience with faster, more reliable kiosks and refreshed gate and ticketing areas. This is all in addition to American’s historic fleet renewal, during which it expects to take delivery of 75 new mainline aircraft in 2015.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
