Closure of Russian airspace ‘single biggest factor’ stopping foreign airlines from boosting service to China, global industry body says
- US and European airlines will not increase flights while being forced to make detours around Russia, says Willie Walsh, head of International Air Transport Association
- Finnair CEO Topi Manner notes Chinese carriers that can use Russian airspace enjoy significant cost advantage, adding it’s ‘not a level playing field’
The head of a global airline industry group has said Russia’s closure of its airspace will be the “single biggest factor” in the restoration of international flights to and from China, as European and American carriers warned of an uneven playing field.
While mainland China’s domestic flight traffic was now greater than before the pandemic struck, international flights were still in a “recovery phase”, International Air Transport Association (IATA) chief Willie Walsh told reporters at the close of its annual meeting in Istanbul on Tuesday.
The closure of Russian airspace following its invasion of Ukraine would continue to dissuade American and European carriers from ramping up service to China, he predicted.
“The single biggest factor that will play into China will be the closure of Russian airspace, because many airlines that would serve China cannot fly through Russian airspace,” Walsh said.
“Therefore, you will see a great reluctance to add capacity from American and European carriers, because of the extended distances that they’re going have to fly to serve China.”