Across the Pacific, a quiet contest over flight slots has surfaced a deeper question about how nations share the skies. Major American carriers have formally opposed Air China's bid to expand its US routes, invoking both competitive fairness and the logic of bilateral aviation agreements. The dispute, unfolding before US regulators in the autumn of 2026, is as much about diplomatic posture as it is about departure times — a reminder that commerce and sovereignty are rarely far apart at 35,000 feet.