Major US airlines and airline unions have called on the Biden administration to suspend approval of additional flights between China and the US, citing the ongoing “anti-competitive policies of the Chinese government.”
“The competitive disadvantage is detrimental to the approximately 315,000 workers employed by U.S. passenger airlines serving China,” said lobbying group Airlines for America (American Airlines, (including Delta Air Lines and United Airlines), the union said in a statement. letter The announcement was made Thursday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“If China’s aviation market continues to grow unchecked and without concern for equal market access, flights will continue to be handed over to Chinese airlines at the expense of American workers and businesses. Deaf,” the memo added. It has also been approved by the Airline Pilots Association.
China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday that an increase in direct flights was “agreed” when Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden met in San Francisco in November, according to CNN.
“that [boosting flights] “This will help strengthen exchanges between the two countries and promote mutual understanding,” the ministry added.
The Department of Transportation said in February that Chinese passenger airlines could increase their flights to and from the U.S. to 50 flights a week starting March 31, up from the current 35 flights to about a third of pre-pandemic levels. Announced. U.S. airlines are similarly allowed to operate 50 flights a week, but are currently not operating all of those flights.
This number is far behind the 150 weekly flights between China and the United States in 2019.
Separately, Rep. Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthy, the committee’s top Democrat, told the Biden administration in a separate letter Wednesday that China “We have asked that no further flights be approved until existing bilateral agreements are respected.” Once an agreement is reached, passenger demand will begin to recover. ”
advertisement
The U.S. airlines said in the letter that the U.S.’s “anticompetitive disadvantage” was imposed by China’s pandemic regulations, which included “draconian restrictions on market access and This includes operational rules, rules for the treatment of customers and crew, etc.
This disadvantage worsened even further in 2022, when “U.S. aircraft carriers rightfully stopped transiting Russian airspace when Russia began its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in March 2022.”
“However, Chinese airlines continue to use Russian airspace, providing artificial competitive, cost and operational advantages, and should be eliminated as part of bilateral negotiations.” says the two-page letter.
Airlines for America said American citizens traveling between the United States and China “should not be exposed to the risks associated with unknowingly passing through Russian airspace, and this practice should be eliminated.” declared.
However, having to avoid Russian airspace increases flight time and costs, CNN reported.
Airlines for America reported that the lack of access to Russian airspace reduced the US airline industry’s annual market share by $2 billion.
However, Chinese airlines do not change their policies, which allows them to charge lower prices for certain flights.
“It is clear that the U.S. government needs to establish policies that protect America’s aviation workers, industry, and air travelers,” the lobby group said.
