All articles tagged with #russian airspace
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has called for a ban on Russian overflight for all carriers that operate to the U.S. due to safety concerns. The closure of Russian airspace has materially affected United's business, limiting its access to India and China. Kirby argues that the loss of global connectivity due to Covid-19 has made the world a more dangerous place.
US airlines are lobbying the White House and Congress to address the issue of losing business to foreign competitors who can take passengers between the US and Asia faster and more cheaply due to the ban on flying through Russian airspace. U.S. carriers have altered trans-Pacific flight plans to ensure they would have somewhere to land in an emergency, reduced passenger and cargo loads to hold down costs as they fly longer distances, and put on hold more than a dozen planned new routes to Mumbai, Tokyo, Seoul, and other cities. Airlines for America estimated the lost annual market share of US carriers at a collective $2 billion per year. The Transportation Department has drafted an order that would ban Chinese carriers that fly passengers to the US from flying through Russian airspace.