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.
The 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 600-1200 yuan (78-156 USD) cheaper for Chinese airlines and take less time.
The current situation has led to a significant decrease in the number of weekly flights of Western airlines on Asian routes compared to 2019. For example, during the peak season, European carriers operate only 23 flights a week from Amsterdam to Chinese cities, while before the pandemic their number reached 43.
On February 28, 2022, the Russian Federation closed its airspace to 36 countries in response to the closure of their airspace to Russian aircraft.