UAL Corp's United Airlines won the final approval to fly the first nonstop daily service between Washington D.C. and Beijing, the US Department of Transportation announced on Feb. 8.

The new route is expected to be open as early as March 25 between Washington Dulles International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport.

The airline received tentative approval on January 9 after the Department assessed the bids of four other airlines, including American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines, for the chance to operate seven weekly flights between the two countries. The airlines were competing based on criteria such as which applicant would serve the most customers and provide the best service to the traveling public.

"If there are two countries in this world that understand the need for fast, efficient and convenient service, it's the United States and China," Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters said. "That's why we are making it a lot easier to travel between the capital cities of the world's two most dynamic economies starting later next month."

United Airlines, the biggest Sino-US carrier which first flew to China 20 years ago, now operates four direct flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Chicago and San Francisco every day. It also has a codeshare agreement with Air China and Shanghai Airlines.

Passenger traffic between the US and China's mainland totaled 1.15 million in 2004, up from 570,000 in 1999.

Airlines in China and the United States are eager to open more direct flights between the two counties to meet the needs of the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.