U.S. airlines are sounding the alarm and pushing back against Air China's plans to add a pair of flights from Beijing to New York and Washington, DC amid Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the nation's capital this month.
Airlines for America (A4A) filed a formal objection, citing Part 213, on behalf of members including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and Air Canada.
The trade group, which requested "expedited treatment" of its objection from the U.S. Department of Transportation, argued that the routes are unfair because Air China can enter Russian airspace to cut down on flight times, eliminating competition from U.S. airlines that can't fly the same routes.
"By granting the authority requested here, the U.S. government will be enhancing Chinese airlines' already exclusive ability to operate nonstop in certain important U.S. markets to the competitive detriment of U.S. airline companies, workers, and communities," A4A said in the filing.
"It's not just a minor thing. It's a huge cost to the airlines to have to go around Russia," A4A President and CEO Chris Sununu said in an interview, according to the Economic Times.
The two initial flights were completed as scheduled on September 19 and September 25.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
