An Air China Boeing 737-800 taxis on the runway at the Beijing international airport on May 11, 2005. STR/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration is proposing to reroute Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on flights to and from the United States. The shorter route over Russia gives Chinese Airlines an advantage over U.S. airlines, since the route can save time and fuel.
The United States banned all Russian aircraft from flying over U.S. airspace after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Russia subsequently banned U.S. airlines from using Russian airspace. This means that U.S. flights to Asia do not fly over eastern Russia, which can cut one to two hours of flight time.
