Trump admin reportedly proposes banning Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on US routes

U.S President Donald Trump's administration plans to prohibit Chinese airlines from using Russian airspace on flights to and from the U.S., Reuters reported on Oct. 9, citing a proposed order from the U.S. Transportation Department.

The move follows growing frustration among American airlines, which have been barred from flying over Russia since 2022, while Chinese carriers continue to use the route.

The U.S. Transportation Department said the current situation was "unfair and has resulted in substantial adverse competitive effects on U.S. air carriers."

U.S. airlines argue that Chinese competitors have an advantage because they experience lower fuel costs when flying through Russian airspace, while U.S. carriers are forced to take longer routes.

Russia banned U.S. and other Western airlines from its airspace in retaliation for Washington's decision to bar Russian carriers from flying over the U.S. following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Chinese airlines, unaffected by Western sanctions, expanded their market share on trans-Pacific routes, capitalizing on reduced travel times and operating costs. The U.S. ban would eliminate this advantage by forcing Chinese airlines to avoid Russian territory as well.

Moscow has repeatedly sought sanctions relief for its aviation sector.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier that Russia had asked the U.S. to lift sanctions on its state airline Aeroflot to restore direct flights between the countries, but Washington has not yet agreed.

Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, warned that Western partners should not offer Russia premature concessions, as sanctions could be leveraged into forcing Moscow to end the war.

Although China presents itself as neutral in the war, it has supplied Russia with dual-use technology and continues to buy large volumes of Russian oil, indirectly supporting Moscow's war effort.

Safety concerns about Russian airspace have also increased after an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet traveling from Baku to Grozny crashed in Kazakhstan on Dec. 25, 2024, killing 38 people.

Earlier investigations found that Russian air defenses downed the plane.