U.S. airlines have had to travel long distances to and from Asia because of the war in Ukraine, giving foreign rivals flying the same route an advantage. Unable to fly through Russian airspace because of the war in Ukraine, U.S. airlines are stepping up a lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill and at the White House to address what they say is a growing problem The New York Times published.
U.S. airlines are losing business to foreign competitors who can take passengers between the United States and Asia faster and more cheaply. Carriers such as Air India, Emirates, and China Eastern Airlines can keep costs down because they fly shorter routes from/to the States through Russian airspace.
On its route from New Delhi to New York City, American Airlines has been forced to stop flights in Bangor, Maine — an hour and a half short of the mark — on 19 occasions, a person familiar with the recent history said. Unfavorable winds or weather depleted the jet fuel supply and ran out the flight crew’s duty hours, delayed passengers, and forced a swap-out of 14 pilots and flight attendants.
Continued access to the shorter and more fuel-efficient routes that Russian airspace provides is giving carriers like Air India, Emirates, and China Eastern Airlines an unfair advantage, the industry lobbying group Airlines for America said in a recent presentation on Capitol Hill.