Major U.S. airlines are opposing Air China’s request for two additional roundtrip services between Beijing and the U.S. East Coast, centring on New York JFK and Washington Dulles. The dispute comes as the Chinese carrier seeks temporary extra flying linked to President Xi Jinping’s planned U.S. visit, while U.S. airlines argue the operations should be treated as charters rather than regular scheduled flights.
Airlines for America has urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to reject the request as filed, warning that approval as scheduled service could set a precedent for further expansion by Chinese carriers. The first added Beijing-JFK roundtrip reportedly operated on 19 September, while a second Beijing-Washington Dulles service remains scheduled for 25 September. The filing was made on 17 September and sought expedited handling.
The objection lands against a long-running imbalance in U.S.-China air access. U.S. carriers say they remain unable to mount comparable East Coast-China services because they cannot use Russian airspace, while Chinese airlines can still route through it on some U.S. services. The dispute over the extra Air China flights is therefore being framed not only as a short-term scheduling issue, but also as part of a broader contest over market access and competitive parity.