Major U.S. airlines and some of their unions are calling on the Biden administration to stop allowing more flights between the United States and China because China is imposing “anti-competitive” policies on U.S. airlines.
Airlines and unions said Thursday that China closed its market to U.S. airlines when the pandemic began and imposed rules that still affect American flight operations and airline crews.
“These actions demonstrated the clear need for the U.S. government to develop policies that protect U.S. aviation workers, industry and air travelers,” said a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The letter was signed by the CEO of the trade group Airlines for America and the presidents of the Air Line Pilots Association, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines crews, and the Association of Flight Attendants.
The number of flights between China and the US has increased but is still well below pre-pandemic levels. The Biden administration increased the number of round-trip flights that Chinese airlines can operate from 35 to 50 per week starting March 31, after China’s aviation regulator vowed to seek an increase in flights by U.S. airlines.
The U.S. airlines said Chinese carriers would have an advantage by flying shorter routes through Russian airspace, which has been banned from U.S. airlines since Russia invaded Ukraine more than two years ago. They said Chinese airlines also receive “certain protections” from the Chinese government because they are state-owned.
The U.S. industry groups said in their letter that without equal access to the Chinese aviation market, American airlines would lose flights to Chinese airlines.