By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration on Thursday proposed banning Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on flights to and from the United States, saying the practice puts U.S. airlines at a disadvantage.
U.S. airlines have long criticized the decision to allow Chinese airlines to fly over Russia on some flights because it gives them the advantage of reducing flight time and burning less fuel.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said Thursday in its proposed order that “this imbalance has become a significant competitive factor.” USDOT said it was proposing to ban Chinese overflights “to even out this competitive disparity between US and Chinese airlines.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington had no immediate comment.
Russia has banned US airlines and other foreign companies from flying over its airspace in retaliation for Washington’s ban on Russian flights over the United States in March 2022, after the country invaded Ukraine.
The decision could affect some U.S. flights operated by Air China, China Eastern, Xiamen Airlines and China Southern.
The push comes amid growing tension between China and the United States over a range of economic issues.
USDOT is giving Chinese shippers two days to respond to the order and said a final order could take effect in November.
In May 2023, the United States approved additional flights by Chinese airlines after they agreed not to fly over Russia on new flights, Reuters reported.
Last year, the USDOT said Chinese passenger airlines could increase weekly round-trip flights to the United States to 50. Each side allowed more than 150 weekly round-trip passenger flights before restrictions were imposed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some U.S. airlines have told the Trump administration that direct flights from the East Coast to China are not economically viable because of the additional cost of not flying over Russia.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Chris Sanders)