It is rare that a day goes by without US President Trump coming up with some new tactic. The Trump administration has now come up with a proposal to ban Chinese airlines. Six Chinese airlines have strongly opposed it. The Trump administration claims that Chinese airlines gain an unnecessary competitive advantage over American airlines by flying through Russian airspace.
Flying through Russian airspace saves Chinese airlines time as well as fuel. In response to Western sanctions after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022, Russia closed its airspace to European and American airlines.
In contrast, Chinese airlines are not subject to any such restrictions. Six airlines, including China’s Air China, China Eastern and China Southern, filed a complaint against the American proposal last week.
China Eastern said in a complaint filed this week that the proposal would harm the public interest. It would increase costs and make tickets more expensive. It would adversely affect thousands of travelers. It would increase their inconvenience.
Now, if this ban were to be implemented before Thanksgiving Day and Christmas, it would directly affect about five thousand travelers. China’s Foreign Ministry strongly criticized the Trump administration’s proposal, saying that such a proposal would be a punishment for global travelers.
