(MENAFN) The Trump administration has proposed prohibiting Chinese airlines from flying over Russian airspace on routes to and from the United States, a news agency reported Friday. The US Transportation Department argued that Chinese carriers currently gain an unfair competitive advantage by using Russian airspace.

In 2022, Russia restricted many Western airlines after Western nations closed their skies to Russian flights following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, forcing non-Russian carriers to take longer, costlier routes. Chinese airlines, however, have not faced such limits.

The Transportation Department described the situation as “unfair and has resulted in substantial adverse competitive effects on US air carriers.” Chinese airlines reportedly have two days to respond, with a final decision expected as early as November. The proposal mainly affects passenger flights, not cargo operations, and could impact carriers including Air China, China Eastern, Xiamen Airlines, and China Southern.

Some US carriers have expressed concern that rerouting around Russian airspace could make direct flights to China less viable due to increased costs and reduced cargo capacity. Following the report, shares of China’s three largest airlines fell slightly, with Air China and China Southern down 1.3% and China Eastern down 0.9% by midday Friday.

The proposal comes amid escalating US-China tensions over trade and energy. Trump has threatened new tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of “funding” the Ukraine conflict through energy imports, a claim China dismissed as “unacceptable,” affirming that its trade with Russia is “legitimate and lawful.”

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