NORTHWEST TO FLY FREIGHTERS TO CHINA

   Northwest Airlines will start twice-weekly freighter service to Shanghai beginning Oct. 31, giving U.S. shippers six more all-cargo flights to China a week, including four new flights operated by Federal Express.
   The new freighter slots were awarded to FedEx and Northwest by U.S. regulators last week, pursuant to a bilateral aviation agreement signed by the U.S. and China in April.
   Northwest will operate a B747 freighter to Shanghai through Tokyo,
according to a Northwest Cargo spokesman.
   Observers expect those flights to draw a lot of traffic from express
carriers DHL Worldwide Express and TNT, who may use the Northwest all-cargo service to compete against the expansion of FedEx and United Parcel Service in the U.S.-China express market.
   FedEx was awarded a total of six new weekly freighter slots to China,
four of those effective immediately. UPS hopes to be named the next U.S. airline to serve China.