Continental Airlines said it has applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide the first non-stop U.S. carrier service between New York and Shanghai in spring 2009.

The U.S.-based airline plans to operate the daily service with a 285-seat Boeing 777 aircraft.

Continental seeks the route award as part of a new landmark aviation agreement signed in July 2007 that provides extensive additional air service opportunities between the U.S. and China over the next six years.

The company said the launch of the proposed flight will provide additional flight choices for the large Asian and Chinese American population in New York as well as people in the U.S. as a whole.

The Continental Airlines added it also plans to provide through flight service between Cleveland and Shanghai via New York.

The airline has more than 3,100 daily departures throughout the America, Europe and Asia, serving 144 domestic and 138 international destinations. It is the only carrier that provides non-stop daily flights from Beijing, Hong Kong to New York.