Lengthy delays for Hong Kong, Beijing-bound American Airlines passengers as carrier avoids Russian airspace
Passengers due to fly between April 14 and April 21 can move flights up to May 5 at no charge, American Airlines says on website
Travellers flying to China and Hong Kong from the US face delays of up to eight hours this week as American Airlines, the world’s biggest airline, diverted some flights to avoid Russian airspace and urged passengers to reconsider travel plans.
Describing the move as a “re-routing” for selected flights to Beijing and Hong Kong, American Airlines posted a travel alert on its website on Saturday. The change is set to affect several hundred passengers each day on three flights.
American Airlines said it was facing restricted airspace on some routes forcing it to divert, refuel and replenish crew on three US-Asia flights.
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A source at the airline said the airspace problems it was facing were not unique to them, but affected all US carriers. American said it was working with government bodies in Washington, though it remains to be seen if the restrictions could extend to more Asia-bound flights for US carriers. Hong Kong carriers are not affected.
The United States and China are the first and second biggest air travel markets in the world.
Passengers due to fly between April 14 and April 21 could move flights up to May 5 at no charge, American Airlines said on its website, indicating it would face prolonged flight disruption for up to a week or more.
Dallas-Hong Kong, Dallas-Beijing and Chicago-Beijing flights since Saturday have stopped for fuel in Los Angeles, as the company opted to route planes over the Pacific Ocean, avoiding a route that skirted US and Russian airspace, passing Alaska and into Siberia.