Chinese airlines oppose Trump plan to stop flying over Russia on US routes

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Major Chinese airlines on Tuesday urged the Trump administration to abandon a plan to bar them from flying over Russia on U.S. flights, saying it would increase flight times, raise air fares and could disrupt some routes.

Last week the U.S. Transportation Department proposed banning Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on routes to and from the United States, saying the reduced flight time puts American carriers at a disadvantage. 

China Eastern, one of six Chinese airlines that sent letters, said in a filing with USDOT that the move could extend the flight time on some of its most important routes by two to three hours, significantly increase risks of missed connections and boost fuel consumption.

Air China and China Southern said the decision would adversely affect a substantial number of passengers in the United States and China.

China Southern projected at least 2,800 passengers scheduled to travel during the peak holiday season of November 1 to December 31 would need to be rebooked "jeopardizing their travel plans."

Separately United Airlines urged the Trump administration to extend the prohibition to Cathay Pacific, which flies over Russia on flights to the United States from Hong Kong and other Hong Kong-based carriers.

United says the Russia restrictions mean it is "effectively barred from resuming non-stop China service on previously served routes such as Newark/New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago."

Russia has barred U.S. airlines and many other foreign carriers from flying over its airspace in retaliation for Washington banning Russian flights over the U.S. in March 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Chinese airlines were not banned and have been using this advantage to increase market share compared to non-Chinese carriers on international routes.

A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry on Friday said the restrictions were not conducive to person-to-person exchanges. 

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 to "maintain parity in the number of passenger flights available to U.S. and Chinese airlines, by ensuring that the level of passenger capacity stays reasonably tied to marketplace demand."

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Chris Sanders and Stephen Coates)