Why Xi’s flight from China to the US was hours faster than Trump’s in May

During the conclusion of his state visit to the United States, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed admiration for the speed of his flight journey when compared to former US President Donald Trump's return trip in May. Trump marveled at Xi's swift travel, crediting the fast plane and its route that included Russia, Alaska, and Canada.

Xi then explained that the route indeed played a significant role in the quick travel time. The two leaders had a relaxed tea session in the White House's Red Room following the state visit.

In contrast, Trump's flight back from Beijing took close to 16 hours due to airspace bans imposed by Russia in response to the Russia-Ukraine war. This meant US aircraft had to circumvent Russian airspace, significantly increasing the journey time. Xi, however, flew the same route back on his "special plane" and reached China in about 15 hours.

The ongoing ban on US and foreign aircraft in Russia's airspace since 2022 has made the travel times between the two countries longer. China has been granted the privilege of using the shorter route through Russian airspace for eight weekly round-trip flights to the United States. Despite China's neutral stance in the Ukraine war, the US civil aviation industry opposes the addition of more flights due to the perceived imbalance.

The aviation industry's concerns over the unfair advantage and increased costs due to the current situation were voiced by Chris Sununu, head of the industry group Airlines for America. The situation has been further complicated by the reduced number of direct flights between the United States and China, a decline that began during the Covid-19 pandemic and has been further stalled by diplomatic friction.