REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

CHINA ROUTE ANNOUNCEMENT
ATLANTA, GA

SEPTEMBER 25, 2007
10:00 AM

Hello, and thank you all for joining us today.

I would like to thank General Manager Ben DeCosta and the folks here at Hartsfield Jackson airport for hosting us, and Delta’s new CEO, Richard Anderson, for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us in making this exciting announcement. I know that you have just completed your busiest travel season in history, and you probably need a break, so I appreciate your hospitality.

From its early role as a railroad hub to its modern distinction as home to one of the world’s busiest airports, Atlanta has always understood the value of having good connections to the rest of the world.

Those connections are about to get a lot better. That is because today I am announcing that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Delta Airlines the right to fly non-stop from Atlanta to Shanghai – which will give this city its long awaited and richly deserved first direct service to China.

This new service will allow business and pleasure travelers from one of America’s fastest growing cities to fly to one of the world’s fastest growing cities.

These new, direct routes will benefit everyone from corporate giants like Atlanta’s Coca-Cola, to small businesses, to individual families.

By bringing China and the U.S. one step closer, we increase our ability to compete, boost our success in the global marketplace, and make international travel for the average passenger easier and more affordable.

However, Atlanta is not the only American city that is about to become more competitive.

Today I also am announcing that the Department is awarding United Airlines the right to begin flying non-stop from San Francisco to Guangzhou starting in 2008.

With this new route, San Francisco – a city whose pronounced cultural and business ties to China can be easily seen by a stroll down Grant Avenue – can now enjoy a direct and convenient connection to its longtime Chinese friends and financial partners in Guangzhou.

In addition, other cities stand ready to benefit from new direct routes to China beginning in 2009. That is because we have tentatively awarded Continental Airlines out of New York, and Northwest out of Detroit the right to fly to Shanghai, and American Airlines out of Chicago and U.S. Airways out of Philadelphia the right to fly directly to Beijing.

We are going to ask for comment on these 2009 route awards, and hope to make final decisions on those new routes in the near future.

Once all these new routes are in place, not only will the quality and frequency of service between our two countries improve, but ticket prices are likely to fall.

Ultimately, these new connections are going to make it easier and more convenient to fly from the U.S. to China than it is to drive from Dunwoody to downtown Atlanta during rush hour.

We are able to make these announcements today because of an agreement I was able to sign this summer with my Chinese counterpart that doubles the number of daily flights allowed between our two countries over the next five years. The agreement also allows for new cargo flights and an expansion of the number of charter flights operating to and from the U.S. and China.

We worked hard to reach this agreement with the Chinese because we understand that new routes to China are about much more than bringing new prosperity to our airlines.

These routes are the lifeblood of local businesses that need to get to China to meet with customers, broaden their market share and ultimately expand their operations back home. And they are the best way to break down the barriers and misconceptions that too often divide our two countries.

Today, Atlanta is showing the nation what strong transportation links can do for a community’s economy. And beginning very soon, Atlanta is going to show the world just what a key player this city is in the global economy.

Thank you.

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