The Trump administration on Thursday proposed banning Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on routes to and from the United States, saying the reduced flight time this practice enables puts American carriers at a disadvantage.
U.S. airlines have long criticized the decision to allow Chinese carriers to use Russian airspace on U.S. routes because it gives them the advantage of decreased flying time and burns less fuel, lowering costs.
Russia has barred U.S. airlines and many other foreign carriers from flying over its airspace in retaliation for Washington’s ban on Russian flights over the U.S. in March 2022 after the country 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.
The U.S. Transportation Department said on Thursday in its proposed order that the current situation was “unfair and has resulted in substantial adverse competitive effects on U.S. air carriers.”
