Xiamen Airlines launches first direct international service between Shenzhen and US

Xiamen Airlines launched its Xiamen-Shenzhen-Seattle service on Monday, the first direct international service between Shenzhen and the U.S.

The service will be handled by a Xiamen Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with three flights per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The flight numbers are MF845 and MF846.

Xiamen Airlines chairman and general manager Che Shanglun said, "The launch of the Xiamen-Shenzhen-Seattle service is an important reflection of the results of the meeting between Chinese and American leaders in 2015. On the heels of these events, a Fuzhou-New York and a Xiamen-LA service will also be initiated, making air travel, and, by consequence, exchanges between the two countries much easier."

The Xiamen-Shenzhen-Seattle service is the sixth long haul and the first American route that Xiamen Airlines has launched. The existing services including Xiamen-Amsterdam, Fuzhou-Sydney, Xiamen-Sydney, Xiamen-Melbourne and Xiamen-Vancouver. The newly opened Seattle service is Xiamen Airlines' first long haul route with a stop at a city outside of the Fujian province.

To complete the build out of a network that extends beyond Seattle, Xiamen Airlines has signed a partnership agreement with Alaska Airlines that enables passengers traveling to Seattle via Xiamen Airlines, to fly onward to 61 major and secondary destinations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico by connecting to an Alaska Airlines flight in Seattle.

Xiamen Airlines operates the largest all-Boeing aircraft fleet in China. Seattle, where Boeing is located, is where each member of the 165-strong fleet of aircraft was manufactured.

American Airlines seeks to serve Tokyo's Haneda Airport from LAX

American Airlines formally submitted an application Monday to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposing to operate daily, year-round, nonstop service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND). Per the U.S.-Japan bilateral agreement, U.S. airlines may only operate a total of four daily round-trip flights at Haneda Airport. Currently that service is provided by Delta Air Lines from Los Angeles and Seattle, Hawaiian Airlines from Honolulu, and United Airlines from San Francisco. American's application seeks to transfer an existing route authority from Seattle, and would provide new service to Haneda from American's hub in Los Angeles.

"With only four authorized daily flights for U.S. airlines between Haneda and the United States, it is imperative that American be allowed to compete," said American's President Scott Kirby. "We are the only U.S. global network carrier without the authority to operate our own aircraft at Haneda. American's proposed Los Angeles-Haneda service will increase competition in the Haneda market and make the most of underutilized operating rights by giving millions of consumers and shippers a new, viable travel option to Haneda that they don't have today."

In December, the DOT instituted a carrier-selection proceeding to determine whether current service between Seattle and Haneda should be reallocated to another airline. Citing underutilization of a scarce resource, American seeks a reallocation of the Haneda authority.

American will operate its proposed LAX-HND service with a Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The airline is retrofitting all 47 of its 777-200s to refresh the cabins and enhance the premium experience on international flights. The retrofitted 777-200 features a Business Class with a fully lie-flat seat and walk-up bar.

Delta Air Lines launch of Seattle-Hong Kong service

Delta Air Lines launched nonstop service from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Hong Kong on Monday. The new market is Delta's latest addition in the buildup of its Seattle hub and its fifth new international destination from Seattle in the last year.

With the launch of Hong Kong service, Delta customers now have nonstop access to nine long-haul international destinations from Seattle - more than all other airlines combined - including the top five destinations in Asia and three of the top four destinations in Europe. Delta is the only carrier to offer nonstop service from Seattle to Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo-Haneda.

Delta currently operates 76 peak-day departures to 25 destinations from Seattle. Delta has increased its peak-day departures by more than 30 percent since a year ago and by December will offer 95 peak-day departures to 33 destinations, making it Seattle's fastest-growing airline.

Nordstrom Rack to open first Queens location

Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc., announced Monday plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at The Shops at SkyView Center in Queens, N.Y. The approximately 39,000-square-foot, two-level store is scheduled to open in fall 2014. The developer for the project is Onex Real Estate Partners.

Nordstrom Rack offers customers a wide selection of on-trend apparel, accessories and shoes at an everyday savings of 30-70 percent off regular prices.

Nordstrom Rack is set to open its first Brooklyn location on Fulton Street in spring 2014 followed by a second location at the Gateway Center in Brooklyn in the fall. When it opens, The Shops at SkyView Center Nordstrom Rack will be the company's first Queens location.

Nordstrom Rack will join the approximately 700,000-square-foot center which is home to a strong mix of retailers, including Target, Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Marshall's, Restoration Hardware and the specialty Asian supermarket Sky Foods among others.

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the leading fashion specialty retailers based in the U.S. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 261 stores in 35 states, including 117 full-line stores, 141 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques and one clearance store.

Florida

In addition to the Queens store, Nordstorm is also expanding its locations in Florida. The company plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at Lake Brandon Plaza in Brandon, Fla. The approximately 32,700-square-foot store is scheduled to open in fall 2014. Lake Brandon Plaza is owned and managed by DDR Corp.

When it opens, the Lake Brandon Plaza Nordstrom Rack will be the company's third location in the greater Tampa area. Nordstrom has operated a full-line store at International Plaza since 2001. The first Nordstrom Rack in Tampa opened at Walters Crossing in 2010.

The new Nordstrom Rack is located off Interstate 75. It will move into the space currently occupied by Babies "R" Us and join a strong surrounding retail scene. Nearby stores include Publix Super Market, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft, Kohl's and Sports Authority.

Receive DCNewsroom email alerts, subscribe here.

Sir Richard Branson pledges $100,000 to space telescope project

Planetary Resources announced Sunday that Sir Richard Branson, chairman of the Virgin Group, has joined the company's core group of investors.

Based in Seattle, Wash., Planetary Resources is planning a series of low-cost robotic space missions with the ultimate goal of one day mining precious minerals from near Earth asteroids.

“I’m excited to be part of the Planetary Resources’ team working on extracting precious minerals from near Earth asteroids," Branson said. “The only way to truly explore our Solar System is to develop the technology and means to sustain our presence in space without depleting resources of Earth.”

Branson generously made a campaign pledge of $100,000 toward the ARKYD space telescope project managed by Planetary Resources. ARKYD will be the world's first crowdfunded space telescope for the public, which has generated nearly 17,000 supporters and over $1.3 million in pledges.

Follow DCNewsroom on Twitter.