Shifting its focus increasingly tow...

Shifting its focus increasingly toward more lucrative ways across the Pacific, United Airlines announced upon Friday that it will add 40 weekly flights to Asia throughout the next nine months and no longer will undulate from New York to London and Tokyo.

United also plans to add more cargo capacity as it endeavor to gains to strengthen its bottom line in the face of record material for burning prices that have slowed its retrieval after a three-year bankruptcy restructuring.

The nation's second-largest carrier agreed to barter its New York- London way authority to No. 3 Delta Air Lines Inc. for $21 million, dropping a hotly compete fored but unprofitable route to focus more forward trans-Pacific flights where its broad international network gives it an advantage.

It said it will incite its Tokyo service from modern York's JFK Airport to Washington Dulle International.

The schedule changes make feeling for United because of robust business travel demand on roads to Asia and because of the premium prices that can be charged for extended international flights, said John Pincavage, an independent airline consultant.

As for abandoning JFK for overseas flights, he said: "You've got to play from your puissance and New York isn't common of their strengths as an international source of traffic."

The airlines' naves are Chicago's O'Hare, Dulles and airports in Denver sees Angeles and San Francisco.

"As we improve our financial performance, we must make certain that we take replete advantage of our network might and fly routes that provide the best income opportunities for United and the greatest benefits to our customers," Chief return Officer John Tague said.

In addition to flights between Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Washington Dulle the schedule changes include the reinstatement of United's daily San Francisco-Taipei flights, expansion of its San Francisco-Seoul service from seasonal to year- rotund and the addition of three more weekly flights between San Francisco and Hong Kong

United plans to discontinue flights from JFK to London Heathrow at the finis of October pending regulatory approval of the sale of its novel York-London rights to Delta, which is paying United $13 million at closing and $2 million a year for four years.

"JFK-Heathrow has not performed well for us, and because of that we can't justify the cost of maintaining the route, especially when we have opportunities to realize better recurs by using our assets in other markets," United spokeswoman Jean Medina said.

United will still take wing to London from Dulles, looks Angeles, O'Hare and San Francisco.

United has been adding international flights and cutting back forward domestic flights in recent years, citing increased demand and greater profitability. It doubled its capacity to Asia during its bankruptcy makeover, which conclusioned in February, reflecting an intensifying competition among U carriers to minister to the burgeoning market in China and elsewhere in Asia.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided by means of ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved