The United States has proposed barring Chinese airlines from using Russian airspace for flights to or from American airports, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) document released Thursday.
The proposal aims to address what the DOT described as “competitive imbalances” arising from unequal access to third-country airspace. The department noted that Russia has “closed its airspace to U.S. air carriers” since May 2022 following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent U.S. sanctions.
“Crossing Russia is the most effective route between certain destinations in China and the United States,” the DOT said, adding that Chinese carriers’ use of Russian overflights has “resulted in substantial adverse competitive effects on U.S. air carriers.”
The department gave affected airlines two business days to submit comments, promising to “afford full consideration to the matters or issues raised” before taking further action.
The proposed restriction would apply to Air China, Beijing Capital Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines.
China’s foreign ministry criticized the proposal, with spokesman Guo Jiakun saying it would harm personnel exchanges between the two countries. He urged the U.S. to “reflect on the impact of its own policies on its own businesses, rather than unreasonably suppressing other countries and leaving global consumers to foot the bill.”
The announcement comes amid ongoing negotiations between Washington and Beijing to resolve a long-standing trade dispute. A truce on most reciprocal tariffs has been extended to November 10 as talks continue.
U.S. officials argue the measure is necessary to ensure fair competition for American carriers, who are unable to overfly Russian airspace due to sanctions.
Chinese airlines have relied on Russian routes for certain transpacific flights, providing faster and more fuel-efficient access compared with alternate routes that bypass Russian territory.
The DOT’s tentative order reflects broader tensions in U.S.-China relations, balancing trade negotiations with concerns over aviation equity and national sanctions policies.
