U.S. Airlines Oppose Extra Air China Flights Over Russian Airspace

WASHINGTON — Airlines for America has opposed Air China's (CA) request to add two flights between Beijing and the U.S. East Coast. The U.S. airline group wants the flights treated as charters rather than scheduled service, Reuters reported, because of Chinese carriers' access to Russian airspace on some U.S. routes.

The U.S. Department of Transportation docket lists Air China's request as received September 14. It lists A4A's objection as received September 17. Reuters reported that the flights, to New York and Washington, were requested around a planned meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump. A4A, whose members include American Airlines (AA), Delta Air Lines (DL), and United Airlines (UA), argues that adding the flights to the schedule could support later requests for regular service.

The airspace issue behind the objection

Russia bars U.S. airlines from its airspace, while Chinese carriers can use it on some U.S. services. That difference can give Chinese operators shorter flight times and lower fuel costs. A4A argues that the disparity particularly limits U.S. airlines' ability to serve China from the East Coast, according to Reuters' account of the objection.

In an October 2025 order to show cause, DOT proposed prohibiting named Chinese passenger and combination carriers from using Russian airspace on U.S. services. Its proposed condition would take effect 30 days after a final order. The reviewed docket lists no final order; Reuters reported that the proposal was shelved ahead of U.S.–China trade talks after objections from other U.S. agencies.

The same routing disparity also affects Europe–Asia service. Finnair says its routes to China, Japan, and South Korea became longer after it lost access to Russian airspace, increasing fuel and crew costs. Its chief executive recently said Chinese airlines' continued access gives them a competitive advantage on those routes, Reuters reported.

For the U.S. request, A4A wants DOT to treat the two flights as charters so that a short-term need does not become a precedent for further scheduled capacity, according to Reuters. The reviewed docket records the objection but does not establish how DOT will classify the flights.