US airlines ask Biden administration to block additional flights to China

The US aviation industry has asked the Biden administration to pause approval of additional flights to and from China, saying Beijing’s “existing harmful anti-competitive policies” hurt American airlines and workers.

“The competitive disadvantage is harmful to the approximately 315,000 workers employed by US passenger airlines that serve China,” according to a letter published Thursday addressing Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The letter was signed by industry lobby group Airlines for America — whose members include American Airlines (AAL), Delta (DAL) and United (UAL) — and other unions representing aviation workers,...