Chinese airlines would no longer be able to fly through Russian airspace on U.S. routes under a tentative order handed down by the Transportation Department on Oct. 9.
The DOT gave Chinese carriers just two days to object to the decision. If finalized, it would apply to all Chinese airlines currently serving the U.S., a list that includes Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines and Xiamen Airlines.
The order would satisfy a grievance of U.S. carriers, which haven't been allowed to fly over Russia since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Chinese carriers, they've argued, have an advantage because they have the option to use faster and more efficient routes to and from the U.S.
"Based on the facts before us, we have tentatively determined that the practice by some Chinese air carriers in exercising Russian overflights in the conduct of certain China-U.S. scheduled combination service is unfair and has resulted in substantial adverse competitive effects on U.S. air carriers in the U.S.-China combination market," the DOT said in the order.
The trade group Airlines for America praised the Trump administration.
"This is an important step that will help ensure U.S. airlines can compete with Chinese carriers on a level playing field," Airlines for America said. "We will continue to work with the administration to address issues of global competitiveness worldwide."
The U.S. and China currently each permit the other country's airlines to operate a combined total of 50 U.S.-China roundtrip flights per week. This month, Chinese carriers are utilizing that full cap with 220 roundtrips, while United, Delta and American are combining for 212, Cirium data shows.
Chinese airlines are the only ones operating flights to the U.S. East Coast, where flight times are the longest.
Nevertheless, Chinese airlines are often steering clear of Russian airspace already on their U.S. routes, according to data from flight-tracking service AirNav Radar. For example, Air China's Oct. 9 flight between New York JFK and Beijing tracked over southern Alaska and entered Asia over South Korea, eschewing the more efficient polar route that would have taken it over Russia.