RT.com
18 Mar 2023, 23:44 GMT+10
American carriers are reportedly losing as much as $2 billion annually in market share to competitors not subject to restrictions
The US Transportation Department is considering a ban on Chinese airlines' use of Russian airspace to fly passengers to the US, three officials from the administration of President Joe Biden told the New York Times on Friday. An order obliging Chinese competitors to abide by the same restrictions faced by US airlines was reportedly presented to the national security team and others last Monday.
The proposal is the result of lobbying by US air carriers, who are losing up to $2 billion annually in market share to foreign competitors not subject to the ban on overflying Russian territory, according to industry trade group Airlines for America. A spokeswoman for the group confirmed it wants the Biden administration to "take action to ensure that foreign carriers overflying Russia do not depart, land or transit through US airports."
Airlines such as China Eastern, Emirates and Air India, whose home countries are not involved in the Ukraine conflict, have enjoyed a boom in business, since they can fly the shortest route without the need to circumvent Russia's vast territory.
American carriers, on the other hand, have had to run long-haul flights with dozens of empty seats in the hope of making the plane light enough to avoid refueling on the increasingly circuitous routes required to avoid no-go zones, airline sources told the Times.
Barred from the most direct routes to Asia, US carriers have had to shelve plans to offer direct services to more than a dozen hotspots such as Tokyo, Seoul, and Mumbai, abandoning those routes to competitors.
Airlines for America has sought to convince passengers who balk at spending the extra several hundred dollars and hours in the air that flying over Russia is actually dangerous. The lobby group points to the downing of MH17 over Ukraine in 2014 and the arrest of US women's basketball star Brittney Griner at a Moscow airport last year.
However, many "safe" countries impose much more severe penalties - up to and including execution by firing squad - on foreigners caught with illegal drugs.
Meanwhile, the Dutch team tasked with finding proof of Russia's culpability in the MH17 incident suspended its investigation last month, having been unable to produce conclusive evidence
Last year, a court in the same country claimed a Russian-made BUK missile shot down the jet, saying there was no "possibility for reasonable doubt whatsoever."
Russia closed its airspace to US airlines last March after Washington imposed its own ban on Russian aircraft flying over US territory.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Malaysia Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Malaysia Sun.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump says the United States could soon reach a trade deal with India. He believes this deal would...
Nearly three months after a devastating earthquake struck Myanmar, the country remains trapped in a deepening crisis, compounded by...
Head of the IFRC delegation in Myanmar highlighted the urgent need for sustained support, especially as families work to rebuild amid...
Rio de Janeiro [Brazil] July 6 (ANI/WAM): The United Arab Emirates, represented by Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign...
Chinese FM urges China, France to uphold multilateralism, rules of free trade China and France should champion multilateralism and...
Birmingham [UK], July 6 (ANI): Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel hailed skipper Shubman Gill after a record-breaking outing at Birmingham,...
PALO ALTO/TEL AVIV: The battle for top AI talent has claimed another high-profile casualty—this time at Safe Superintelligence (SSI),...
FRANKLIN, Tennessee: Hundreds of thousands of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles are being recalled across the United States due to a potential...
REDMOND, Washington: Microsoft is the latest tech giant to announce significant job cuts, as the financial strain of building next-generation...
LONDON UK - U.S. stock markets were closed on Friday for Independence Day. Global Forex Markets Wrap Up Friday with Greeback Comeback...
SANTA CLARA, California: Nvidia came within a whisker of making financial history on July 3, briefly surpassing Apple's all-time market...
SACRAMENTO, California: California's multibillion-dollar farms are facing a growing crisis—not from drought or pests, but from a sudden...