US airlines oppose China's bid to add more flights

Sept 24 (Reuters) - The head of industry group Airlines for America said Thursday that carriers oppose adding more Chinese direct flights to the United States even as China's president Xi Jinping raised the idea.

Chris Sununu, who heads the group representing American Airlines AAL.O, United Airlines UAL.O, Delta Air Lines DAL.N and others, said U.S. carriers continued to be hampered by the fact that Chinese carriers are allowed to overfly Russia on eight flights. He said he has been advocating to Trump administration officials not to give in.

"It's not just a minor thing. It's a huge cost to the airlines to have to go around Russia," Sununu said in an interview.