Major U.S. airlines and some of their labor unions are urging the Biden administration to pause further approval of flights between the United States and China due to what they describe as China’s ‘anti-competitive’ regulations affecting U.S. carriers.
On Thursday, the airlines and unions stated that China closed its market to U.S. airlines at the onset of the pandemic and enforced regulations that continue to impact American airlines’ operations and their flight crews.
Airlines for America is an industry organization that includes American Airlines (AA), Delta Air Lines (DAL), and United Airlines (UA).
In a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the State Department, the organization noted that since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in March 2022, U.S. airlines have ceased flying over Russian airspace, while Chinese airlines have continued to use Russian airspace, giving them an advantage.
The volume of flights between China and the U.S. has been increasing, but it remains significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels. Starting on March 31, the Biden administration increased the weekly limit of round trips Chinese airlines can make from 35 to 50, after China’s aviation authority promised to request an increase in flights for U.S. airlines.
The letter calls on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to halt additional passenger flights between the United States and mainland China until American workers and businesses receive equal access to the market, without obstruction from the mainland government’s existing harmful anti-competitive policies.
In a separate statement letter, Republican Mike Gallagher, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Special Committee on China, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Democratic leader of the committee, urged the Biden administration to continue suspending additional flights until China adheres to existing bilateral agreements and passenger demand begins to recover. | A. Lee, BChannel News
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