Major Chinese airlines on Tuesday urged the Trump administration to scrap a plan banning flights over Russia on U.S. routes, warning it would lengthen travel times, raise airfares, and potentially disrupt certain services.

Last week, the U.S. Transportation Department proposed banning Chinese airlines from flying over Russia on routes to and from the United States, saying the reduced flight time puts American carriers at a disadvantage.

China Eastern, one of six Chinese airlines that sent letters, said in a filing with USDOT that the move could extend the flight time on some of its most important routes by two to three hours, significantly increase risks of missed connections and boost fuel consumption.

Air China and China Southern said the decision would adversely affect a substant

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