US airlines oppose more direct China flights
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
During Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States, he proposed that China and the US increase direct passenger flights to make travel and trade easier. US airline industry representatives quickly pushed back, arguing that competition remains uneven because American carriers cannot use Russian airspace while some Chinese flights still can. The White House had not commented on the proposal as of the reports. Before the pandemic, the two sides each operated more than 150 weekly round-trip passenger flights, compared with about 50 each now.
Key Points
- Xi Jinping made the proposal on September 24 during a White House welcome ceremony, saying more direct flights could facilitate two-way travel and trade between China and the US.
- Airlines for America chief executive Chris Sununu said US carriers oppose expansion because American airlines must detour around Russian airspace, raising operating costs significantly.
- Sununu said Chinese airlines still have eight flights approved to overfly Russia, giving them shorter routings and a competitive advantage on US-bound services.
- Airlines for America has also opposed Air China’s request to add Beijing-New York and Beijing-Washington flights around the leaders’ meeting.
- After the Russia-Ukraine war began, the US barred Russian flights from its airspace in March 2022, and Russia then banned US airlines from overflying Russia.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong travellers and businesses, the pace of China-US flight recovery affects fares, connections and travel convenience across the wider trans-Pacific market. The dispute also shows that aviation reopening is being shaped not only by demand, but by geopolitics and airspace access rules.