FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- American Airlines is moving up the start of its Chicago-to-Beijing service by a few days so people can travel to May Day celebrations next spring.

The airline said Wednesday it will launch the service with a flight leaving Chicago April 26, with the first return flight the next day.

American had planned to start service May 1.

Loretta Kuss, the airline's director of Chicago sales, said the change was made to allow people fly American to attend China's international labor day activities. While Labor Day is observed in September in the United States, in many countries the holiday is marked on May 1.

American will fly the route nonstop with widebody Boeing 777 aircraft that have first-class, business-class and coach seating for 245 passengers.

American, a unit of AMR Corp., already flies between Chicago and Shanghai.