Western airlines are suffering losses after Russia closed their airspace. Chinese companies gain a competitive advantage as routes over the Russian Federation remain open to them, the newspaper South China Morning Post reported.
„European companies are in extremely unequal competition with China”, the publication quotes the words of Lufthansa representative Jörg Waber. Using short routes in Russian airspace “gives an additional cost-cutting advantage”, he explained.
According to the newspaper, the popular flight from Beijing to Frankfurt for Chinese airlines takes an average of 9.5 hours, while German carriers spend 12 hours on a similar route. An increase in flight time leads to a significant increase in ticket prices due to increased costs of fuel, maintenance and crew support. As a result, Asian routes flying over Russian territory are 600-1,200 yuan ($78-156) cheaper for Chinese airlines and take less time.
The current situation has led to a significant reduction in the number of weekly flights of Western airlines to Asian destinations compared to 2019. For example, during the peak season, European carriers operate only 23 flights per week from Amsterdam to Chinese cities, while before the pandemic COVID-19 their number reached 43.
On February 28, 2022, the Russian Federation closed its airspace to 36 countries in response to their airspace being closed to Russian aircraft.
Source: tass.ru