UNITED Airlines aims to increase substantially the number of services it operates to Hong Kong, Australia and China to help cope with growing passenger demand.
The US carrier has concrete plans to launch additional non-stop services between Tokyo and both Beijing and Shanghai from February 13.
However, its Hong Kong expansion plans are a little more tentative because of congestion problems at Kai Tak.
United hopes to augment its existing daily non-stop San Francisco-Hong Kong service by introducing a second flight to be operated four days a week using Boeing 747-400 aircraft.
These services have been scheduled to begin in June, even though United has yet to secure additional take-off and landing slots in Hong Kong.
Talks have been taking place with Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific, which chairs Kai Tak's slot allocation committee, but vacant times are like gold dust until the territory's new airport at Chek Lap Kok opens in three or four years.