Access to Russian airspace has once again sparked a dispute between US and Chinese airlines. The latest disagreement concerns two additional Air China flights between Beijing and the US East Coast, linked to the planned meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. US carriers argue that including these services in the scheduled network could pave the way for further increases in regular flights under unequal competitive conditions, Reuters reported.

The objection was submitted by Airlines for America (A4A), which represents American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, among others. The association wants the additional capacity required for the political meeting to be authorised as charter flights. In its view, temporary demand associated with a specific event should not become a basis for expanding Chinese carriers’ scheduled services.

One of the disputed flights has already operated. According to Aviation Week’s September 21 report, Air China operated an additional Beijing–New York John F. Kennedy service on September 19, using a Boeing 777-300ER under flight number CA621. A second additional round trip, between Beijing and Washington Dulles, is scheduled for September 25.

At the heart of the US airlines’ opposition is the difference in airspace access. Russia closed its airspace to US airlines and numerous other foreign carriers in response to Western restrictions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Chinese airlines were not subject to that ban, allowing them to use shorter routings on some US services, reducing fuel consumption and operating costs.

This disparity is particularly significant on routes between China and the US East Coast. A4A argues that the inability to overfly Russia effectively prevents US airlines from operating these services competitively. Its objection therefore also addresses broader market conditions: granting Chinese carriers additional operating rights would, it argues, increase the routing advantage they already enjoy.

Washington has previously attempted to intervene. In October 2025, the US Department of Transportation proposed prohibiting Chinese airlines from using Russian airspace on flights to and from the United States, citing the competitive disadvantage faced by US carriers. According to Reuters, however, the proposal encountered opposition from other US government agencies and was shelved ahead of trade talks with China.

The dispute is unfolding in a market that remains considerably smaller than before the pandemic. Citing OAG data, Aviation Week reported that approximately 60,000 seats were scheduled in both directions between the United States and mainland China for the week beginning September 21, around 69% fewer than in the comparable week of 2019.