The State Department wants new talks with Russia by the end of May on agreements for U.S. airlines to cross Russian airspace, with officials in Moscow holding out on at least one key route used by cargo carriers.
Russia this month agreed to renew three of four overflight routes as a deadline was about to expire. The fourth route, which runs across southern Russia, wasn’t renewed, and cargo carriers have had to use a costlier flight path as a result, said Manisha Singh, the assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs.