US Pushes to Prohibit Chinese Airlines from Using Russian Airspace… “Unfair Competition”
Chinese Airlines Warn of Passenger Inconvenience in Protest Letter, Demand Withdrawal
US Airlines Urge Expansion of Ban to Include Hong Kong Airlines, ‘[By Bansung Hoon, Edaily] The power struggle between the US and China has now extended to the skies. The Trump administration in the US is pushing to ban Chinese airlines operating routes to the Americas from flying over Russian airspace. Major Chinese airlines are strongly opposing the move and have demanded the US government retract the decision.’,
, ‘According to Reuters and other sources on the 14th (local time), six major Chinese airlines, including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and China Southern Airlines, have submitted an official letter of protest to the US Department of Transportation, opposing America’s decision to ban flights over Russian airspace.’,
, ‘Previously, on the 9th, the US Department of Transportation claimed that Chinese airlines were using Russian airspace on US round-trip routes to significantly reduce flight times, which placed US airlines at a competitive disadvantage. As such, they proposed a ban on Chinese airlines from using Russian airspace.’,
, ‘In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US banned Russian aircraft from its airspace in March 2022, a month after the invasion. Russia countered by blocking US and European airlines from entering its airspace. Consequently, US airlines have been avoiding Russian airspace.’,
, ‘In contrast, Chinese airlines, due to their alliance with Russia, face no such restrictions and thus hold a relative advantage on American routes in terms of shorter flight times, less fuel consumption, etc. The US Department of Transportation has labeled this as unfair competition.’,
, ‘In their protest letter, Chinese airlines argued that increased flight times, disruptions due to route adjustments, transit delays, increased fuel costs, and fare hikes would exacerbate passenger inconvenience, urging the withdrawal of the ban. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also criticized the move, stating that it would hinder people-to-people exchange between the two countries.’,
, ‘China Eastern Airlines pointed out that the increased flight times of 2-3 hours on major routes would rise the risk of missed connections and fuel consumption, harming public interest and causing significant inconvenience to travelers between the two nations. China Southern Airlines estimated that around 2,800 passengers could experience rescheduling issues during the peak season of November to December.’,
, ‘While Chinese airlines cite passenger inconvenience as a justification, analysts suggest that fears of reduced profitability are the core reason for their opposition.’,
, ‘Meanwhile, US carrier United Airlines has called on the US government to expand the scope of the ban. They argued that the same regulations should apply to Cathay Pacific and other Hong Kong-based airlines that utilize Russian airspace for trans-Pacific flights.’,
, ‘The US airline industry representative group, Airlines for America, emphasized that flight numbers between US and Chinese airlines should remain equal based on fundamental demand, to prevent the gap in operational frequencies from widening.’,
, ‘Foreign media reported concerns that the US protectionist measures and the resulting power struggle with China could affect global passenger and air cargo logistics significantly.’