Originally Posted by
Indelaware
Are you thinking there would be local traffic ORD-CTS as well as possible CTS-KUL or are you thinking of using CTS as a technical stop only? If it is the latter, then there are many more places where a more efficient technical stop might be made, notably ANC & FAI where fuel is likely less costly than at CTS. There are also points in both Canada and Russia which would save quite a bit of difference on the trek to KUL.
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=ord-kul...ks,mjz,ner,pwe
CTS is one of the largest airports in Japan, clearly the most logical one to serve north of Tokyo, a JAL focus city (a bank of 737s heading south) and currently its only US carrier service is through HNL or Guam. It's almost a practical destination in its own right and AA can operate and sell tickets ORD-CTS and CTS-KUL independently.
DL and UA both run flights like that through NRT, but that would be directly competing with two of AA's partners instead of opening up a new intra Asia O/D route.