American airlines are lobbying the White House and Congress to ban foreign airlines flying to the United States from using Russian airspace during these flights, the New York Times reports, citing its sources.
American airlines complain that they are at a huge disadvantage compared to their Asian competitors because they cannot fly to the Asian continent via the shortest routes – through the Arctic Ocean and Russia. Moscow closed its airspace to their flights following a US ban on Russian air carriers in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a result, they have to lengthen routes, reduce payloads in order to save fuel, which may not be enough to fly in adverse weather conditions. Because of this, the prices for flights from foreign competitors are lower, and flights take less time. The airlines for America lobbying group estimates that American companies have lost about $2 billion in a year. The main beneficiaries were Emirates, Air India and China Eastern Airlines. She calls on the US authorities to create a level playing field for US and foreign air carriers.
According to the New York Times, the Department of Transportation has prepared a draft executive order that would ban Chinese airlines from using Russian airspace during their flights to the United States. At the same time, the Biden administration fears that such a decision regarding the Indian airline could cause unwanted friction with India. Influential senators advocated the introduction of such a ban. In a letter to the State and Transportation Departments, Senate Foreign Policy Committee chairs Senators Bob Menendez and Jim Rish add that when flying over Russian territory, airlines may be in a situation where they need to make an emergency landing or may be forced to make a landing. In such cases, American citizens on board may be the object of attention of the Russian authorities. Supporters of the ban also emphasize that Russia is at war, which could pose a danger to flights over its territory.
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