Full Breakdown
US Airlines Oppose Extra China Flights Ahead of Xi-Trump Summit
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Core Dispute Over Additional Beijing-New York/Washington Flights
Airlines for America (A4A)—the trade group for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and other major U.S. carriers—has formally objected to Air China’s request for two additional round-trip flights between Beijing and New York and Washington, D.C. The objection, filed in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s public docket on September 17, 2026, argues that approving the flights as scheduled service would cement an “unequal access” advantage for Chinese airlines that can still overfly Russian airspace, while U.S. carriers cannot.
Background: Flight Caps and Russian Airspace Restrictions
Under the bilateral aviation agreement, each side may operate roughly 50 round-trip flights per week between the United States and China. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the quota was about 150 weekly round-trip flights per side; it was reduced to 12 per week in August 2023. The United States banned Russian aircraft from its airspace in March 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting Russia to bar U.S. carriers from its airspace. Chinese airlines were not subject to the ban and have been allowed to use Russian routes for eight flights to the United States, giving them shorter flight times and lower fuel consumption. Air China already operates five weekly flights on the Beijing-New York/Washington corridor.
Official Statements & Responses
A4A head Chris Sununu—who represents the group’s member airlines—has repeatedly urged the Trump administration not to “make it worse for us.” He stresses that the inability to overfly Russia forces U.S. airlines onto longer detours, raising operational costs at a time of high fuel prices. Sununu also asked that any extra China flights be classified as charter operations rather than scheduled service, warning that the latter could create a regulatory loophole for future requests.
Data & Statistics
- Bilateral weekly cap: ~50 round-trip flights per side.
- Russian-airspace advantage: Chinese carriers permitted on eight U.S. flights; U.S. carriers barred.
- Existing Air China service: five weekly Beijing-New York/Washington flights.
- Flight-time savings: Russian routes shave two to three hours compared with detours required of U.S. airlines.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It’s not just a minor thing. It’s a huge cost to the airlines to have to go around Russia,” — Chris Sununu
The dispute unfolds as President Donald Trump prepares to host President Xi Jinping in the United States from September 23–25, 2026. A4A’s opposition underscores the broader competitive tension between the two aviation markets, rooted in the lingering effects of the 2022 Russian airspace ban.