US airlines ask Biden administration not to approve additional flights to China

In the letter, American carriers said China implemented strict limits on market access during the pandemic and imposed challenging rules affecting operations, customers, and the treatment of US airline crew.

"The competitive disadvantage is harmful to the approximately 315,000 workers employed by US passenger airlines that serve China," according to a letter published Thursday addressing Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as per CNN.

The letter bore the signature of the industry advocacy organisation Airlines for America, which counts among its members American Airlines (AAL), Delta (DAL), and United (UAL), as well as various unions representing aviation personnel, such as the Air Line Pilots Association.

"If the growth of the Chinese aviation market is allowed to continue unchecked and without concern for equality of access in the market, flights will continue to be relinquished to Chinese carriers at the expense of US workers and businesses," it added.

According to CNN, in February, the US announced its decision to permit Chinese airlines to expand their direct passenger flights to the United States, aiming to gradually restore aviation services impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

US officials approved Chinese carriers to operate 50 weekly roundtrips to and from the United States, an increase from the previous limit of 35 flights starting from March 31.

But the increased number is still only a fraction of the more than 150 weekly round trips allowed by each side before curbs were imposed in early 2020.

The "anti-competitive disadvantage" with China worsened in 2022, the letter said, when the Asian country's airlines continued to access Russian airspace, while US carriers stopped using it as a result of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February of that year.

Having to avoid Russian airspace adds time and costs to flights. (ANI)