The Chicago Tribune: Not a fair flight: Why U.S. airlines are upset over Gulf States’ subsidies
“You don’t often see the CEOs of America’s three largest airlines sitting together, cooperating, even bonding a little. But these archrivals don’t often share a worry like this one: They say their valuable international business is under attack by three Middle Eastern carriers benefiting from billions of dollars in unfair subsidies from their governments.
You don’t often see the CEOs of America’s three largest airlines sitting together, cooperating, even bonding a little. But these archrivals don’t often share a worry like this one: They say their valuable international business is under attack by three Middle Eastern carriers benefiting from billions of dollars in unfair subsidies from their governments.The U.S. complaint sounds as if it heralds a new trade war in the skies.
Meeting Tuesday with the Tribune Editorial Board, the CEOs — United’s Jeff Smisek, American’s Doug Parker and Delta’s Richard Anderson — told us they’ve joined forces to push the U.S. government to look carefully at whether Mideast governments have violated terms of the Open Skies policy. That’s the trade treaty system of sorts that enables and promotes airline competition among nations.”