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Chinese airlines operating flights from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to destinations in China are paying Russia significant sums in air traffic control (ATC) fees, according to recent research. Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western carriers have been barred from Russian airspace due to reciprocal sanctions, forcing them to take longer routes and increasing their operational costs. In contrast, Chinese airlines, which are not subject to these sanctions, continue to use Russian airspace for direct flights between Europe and China.
Data from aviation analytics company Cirium shows that three major Chinese carriers—China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and Xiamen Airlines—operate non-stop services from Amsterdam to various cities in China. For each flight over Russian territory, approximately €8,000 ($9,400) is paid in ATC fees. This amounts to an estimated annual total of around €18 million ($21.6 million) contributed by Chinese airlines departing from Schiphol alone.
Aviation expert Floris de Haan commented on the situation: "If you’re strategically located, like Russia, airlines have little choice: fly over it or detour. People primarily choose based on price, frequency, convenience, and travel time. Not what an airline pays to the countries they fly over. They often don’t even know what countries they’re flying over."
