Diverted Indian jet lands in middle of Russia airspace dispute

The diversion of a US-built Air India jetliner to Russia with engine problems has thrust industry tensions surrounding Russian airspace into the spotlight - just a day after the head of a major American carrier predicted an almost identical scenario. A global industry meeting ended on Tuesday with carriers at odds over the use of Russia as a pivotal crossing point in the global air transport network, with United Airlines (UAL.O) citing trade concerns but India's flag carrier defending it. A Russian ban on some foreign carriers using its airspace, in retaliation for Western sanctions over the Ukraine war, has redrawn air routes and upset business models for some airlines that now need to fly around the world's largest country. The potential impact is far-reaching because one flight between Europe and Asia generates three throughout the network as passengers take connecting flights, according to Brussels-based air traffic control body Eurocontrol. While US, European and Japanese carriers have stopped flying over Russia, Air India and some Gulf-based and Chinese airlines continue to do so, making flying times shorter and giving them a cost edge over competitors. "At Air India, we operate according to the ambit of what is provided to us by the nation of India and not all nations agree," CEO Campbell Wilson said at the IATA annual meeting this week. "So there are going to be different outcomes as a consequence," Wilson told the conference in Istanbul.<br/>