Nationwide Survey Shows Overwhelming Support for Washington, D.C., to Beijing Route

Public Endorses Direct Route by 5-to-1 Margin Over Proposals

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- A new nationwide survey released today by the Capital-to-Capital Coalition shows that three in four Americans say international air travel is important to the U.S. economy and a majority support creating daily, non-stop air service between Washington, D.C., and Beijing, China. More specifically, when asked to choose which route the United States government should approve, a majority of U.S. travelers support the United Airlines proposal which links Washington, D.C., and Beijing.

The survey also showed that Americans strongly support a route that will help foster diplomatic, cultural and economic ties between the two countries. Specifically the results showed:

 -- 71 percent of Americans say helping foster good relations between two
 countries is a very important consideration when deciding which route
 the Department of Transportation should approve
 -- 67 percent say the route should make it easier for leaders of both
 countries to meet with each other
 -- 58 percent stated linking the capitals of both countries together was
 important
 

"When presented with the option of establishing direct service to China, the public has a clear favorite -- we should seize this opportunity to connect capitals, commerce and cultures for the benefit of both countries," said Jane Garvey, former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator and co- chair of the coalition.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is expected to decide by the end of 2006 on the proposals for a new direct route between the United States and China. Washington, D.C. -- the fourth-largest and fastest growing market in the country -- is by far the largest metropolitan region without nonstop service to China, the U.S.'s third-largest trading partner and the fastest- growing market for U.S. goods exports. It also has the largest Chinese population of all U.S. markets without nonstop service to China.

The survey of 1,002 air travelers from across the U.S., completed by Luce Research was conducted by telephone from September 22 to September 24. Respondents were randomly selected and screened for recent air travel. The survey is considered accurate within a margin of 3.2%

About the Capital-to-Capital Coalition

The Capital-to-Capital Coalition advocates on behalf of transit authorities, businesses, trade associations, the diplomatic community, academics and opinion leaders with the purpose of promoting direct access between Washington, D.C. and Beijing. The Coalition believes linking the capital cities of two of the world's most important nations will span a critical geopolitical divide and positively impact governmental, business, academic and cultural relations. We encourage the public to join us in our efforts by visiting our Web site at http://www.capitaltocapital.net/ .

 Media Contact: Rich James
 rjames@capitaltocapital.net
 202/478-3728

Source: Capital-to-Capital Coalition

CONTACT: Media, Rich James, rjames@capitaltocapital.net,
+1-202-478-3728