Chinese airlines oppose Trump plan to stop flying over Russia on US routes
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China’s major airlines urged the Trump administration on Tuesday to drop a plan to ban U.S. flights from flying via Russia; He said this would increase flight times, increase airfares and could disrupt some routes.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed banning Chinese airlines from flying via Russia on routes to and from the United States, saying reduced flight time puts American carriers at a disadvantage.
China Eastern, one of six Chinese airlines that sent the letter, said in a filing to USDOT that the move could extend flight time on some of the most important routes by two to three hours, significantly increase the risk of missed connections and increase fuel consumption.
Air China and China Southern said the decision would negatively impact a significant number of passengers in the United States and China.
China Southern predicted that at least 2,800 passengers scheduled to travel during the peak holiday season from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 would need to rebook, “compromising their travel plans.”
Separately, United Airlines called on the Trump administration to extend the ban to Cathay Pacific, which flies via Russia on flights to the United States from Hong Kong and other Hong Kong-based carriers.
United said the restrictions in Russia meant it was “effectively prohibited from continuing non-stop China service on previously served routes such as Newark/New York, Washington, DC and Chicago.”
Russia has banned US airlines and most other foreign carriers from flying over its airspace in retaliation for Washington banning Russian flights via the US in March 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Chinese airlines have not been banned and are using this advantage to increase market share over non-Chinese carriers on international routes.
On Friday, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said the restrictions were not conducive to person-to-person meetings.
Airlines for America, a major trade group representing carriers American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, praised the effort but also called on USDOT to continue “maintaining parity in the number of available passenger flights by U.S. and Chinese airlines by ensuring that the level of passenger capacity remains reasonably consistent with market demand.”
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Chris Sanders and Stephen Coates)
