Story perspectives

DOT Delays Decision on Air China Extra Flights

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 10:40 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The U.S. Department of Transportation has not announced a decision on Air China’s extra flights.
Airlines for America, representing major U.S. carriers, objected, citing unfair advantage from Russian airspace.
Air China seeks nonstop Beijing-New York and Beijing-Washington flights on September 19 and September 25.
The association warned that approving the extra flights could set a precedent for further additions.

History

Historical Context

The 1972 Shanghai Communiqué, signed during Nixon’s February visit, cleared the way for the U.S.–China Air Service Agreement that year, permitting two weekly nonstop flights; by 1975 Air China moved 1,200 passengers on the Beijing-San Francisco route. Now the DOT’s pause on Beijing-New York and Beijing-Washington services revives the same geopolitical balancing act that began in 1972.

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Story summary

The U.S. Department of Transportation has not announced a decision on Air China’s extra flights.
Airlines for America, representing major U.S. carriers, objected, citing unfair advantage from Russian airspace.
Air China seeks nonstop Beijing-New York and Beijing-Washington flights on September 19 and September 25.
The association warned that approving the extra flights could set a precedent for further additions.

1 / 2