U.S. air carriers are reportedly at an “unfair” disadvantage because Russian airspace is closed to them, unlike to Chinese airlines.
On Friday, Reuters reported that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has put forward a proposal to prohibit Chinese airlines from utilizing Russian airspace for flights to and from America. The U.S. Transportation Department asserted that Chinese carriers gain an unfair competitive advantage by flying through Russian skies.
In 2022, Russia imposed a ban on numerous Western airlines from its airspace following retaliatory closures of Western skies to Russian flights, amidst the escalating conflict in Ukraine. This action compelled non-Russian airlines to detour around Russian territory, increasing both the travel time and operational costs for transcontinental routes. However, China has not been subjected to these same restrictions.
The Transportation Department’s proposal stated that this situation was “unfair and has resulted in substantial adverse competitive effects on US air carriers.” Chinese airlines were reportedly given two days to respond, with a final decision anticipated as early as November.
According to the agency, Air China, China Eastern, Xiamen Airlines, and China Southern could see their flights impacted by this proposal. The measure reportedly focuses solely on passenger flights and does not extend to cargo operations.
Neither the Chinese aviation regulator nor its embassy in Washington offered comments on the report. Some U.S. carriers are reportedly against the proposed action, cautioning that avoiding Russian airspace would diminish the feasibility of direct flights to China due to increased expenses and reduced cargo capacity.
Following the report, shares of China’s three largest airlines experienced a slight decline by mid-day Friday, with Air China and China Southern both down 1.3%, and China Eastern down 0.9%.
This development unfolds amidst heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing concerning Trump’s trade policies. He has threatened to impose new tariffs over China’s relationship with Moscow, accusing Beijing of “funding” the Ukraine conflict through its energy imports. China dismissed these allegations as “unacceptable,” maintaining that its trade with Russia is “legitimate and lawful.”
In a related development, Kremlin aide Kirill Dmitriev recently indicated that U.S.-Russia air travel might resume by late 2025. This topic has been discussed within the framework of Ukraine peace initiatives mediated by the U.S. Last August, Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Alexander Darchiev confirmed that efforts to restore flights between the two nations were already “underway.”