Conflict in Ukraine Benefiting Chinese Airlines

Flying through Russian airspace can reduce flight time significantly for several airlines. However, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to the closure of airspace across Eurasia, affecting aviation worldwide. While the recovery in the Asia/Pacific markets has been slow, major airlines globally continue to avoid flying over Russian airspace.

For over a year now, many Western airlines have been unable to operate in Ukrainian, Russian, Belarusian, and Moldovan airspaces. As a result, carriers have had to innovate and restructure their networks, adjusting their routes to meet demand and ensure uninterrupted service over longer distances.

Are European carriers at a disadvantage?

Last year, Western airlines were prohibited from using Russian airspace as a result of sanctions. Consequently, flights from Europe to Asia are taking longer for carriers across Europe. However, many airlines from Asia and the Middle East still use Russian airspace when it is the most direct route between destinations.

Some argue that this is an unfair disadvantage to European airlines. In a recent statement, Ben Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM, highlighted the substantial fuel and time expenses incurred when using the southern route to fly from France to China. Currently, the carrier utilizes this route, including during French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent visit to the country.

A previous report by Simple Flying found that access to fly over Russia shortens flight times from Paris to Shanghai by anywhere from 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours. Laurent Donceel, the Managing Director of Airlines for Europe, told CNN how the longer flight paths affect airlines:

“European airlines have been forced to take detours, involving more southern flight routes to East and Southeast Asia because of the closure of Russian airspace. This has resulted in longer flight times and added fuel costs on these flights.”

Furthermore, Russian airspace continues to be a source of revenue for the country. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Russia earned $1.7 billion in overflight fees in 2019, which is the highest amount earned by any country worldwide. Carriers, including Air India and several from the Middle East, still pay Russia to fly over its territory.

A parallel situation in the United States

Calls to block flights from foreign carriers using Russian airspace have recently emerged in the United States, particularly affecting the four Chinese airlines that operate between China and the US. Among these carriers, Air China flies from Beijing and Shenzhen to Los Angeles, while Xiamen Airlines serves Xiamen to Los Angeles. China Southern Airlines connects Guangzhou to New York and Los Angeles, while China Eastern Airlines operates between Shanghai and New York. All these routes cross over Russian airspace, which has sparked concerns.

As a result, some customers are opting for longer flights that avoid these contentious zones, leading to a noticeable impact on airlines such as Finnair, which previously utilized its northern location to offer quick connections to Asia. Finnair’s CEO, Topi Manner, highlighted that European corporate travelers are among the groups less inclined to take advantage of faster overflight routes. Manner explained, “There will be customer segments that probably do not want to fly through the Russian airspace. It would be very hard for European companies to justify that their employees are flying with Chinese carriers through the Russian airspace while there are sanctions in place.”

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