Press Releases
Delta CEO Richard Anderson Warns Unfair Airline Subsidies Threaten Detroit Jobs
Delta Air Lines CEO Richard Anderson warned that thousands of Detroit area jobs are being threatened by the massive subsidization of the Gulf carriers. Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club before an audience of local business leaders, Anderson said the Gulf airlines are leveraging more than $42 billion in subsidies from the governments of Qatar and United Arab Emirates, which undermines fair competition.
U.S. Conference of Mayors Calls on Administration to Open Consultations with Qatar and UAE for Violations of Open Skies
Organization of over 1,400 Mayors Passes Resolution Urging Administration to Address Subsidies that Qatar and UAE Provide to their State-owned…
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT – Latino Coalition Calls Out Unfair Practices of Gulf Carriers; Forbes Reports on Opaque Financials at Etihad Airways & Qatar Airways
“[A] trio of airlines from the Persian Gulf isn’t playing by the rules — the very rules that their own governments agreed to. Government subsidies are not allowed under the Open Skies agreements that both the United Arab Emirates and Qatar signed with the United States, yet those two countries are pumping tens of billions of dollars in subsidies into their state-owned airlines in order to give them an unfair advantage over U.S. airlines…
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT – Air France KLM Filing Urges Immediate Action by U.S. Government in Response to Gulf Carrier Subsidization
Air France KLM submitted comments to the U.S. government regarding the subsidization of state-owned Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates, saying that the White Paper submitted by the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies “provides evidence of serious distortions of competition.” The European carrier also joined the Partnership in calling on the U.S. government to move immediately to open government-to-government consultations.
Qatar Claims Profitability, But Provides No Evidence or Financial Documents
Just last month, Etihad Airways claimed $73 million in profitability without offering any evidence or releasing its financial statements.
“There is no denying the truth – Qatar Airways and Etihad receive billions in illegal subsidies from the governments of Qatar and United Arab Emirates, a direct violation of Open Skies policies,” said Zuckman. “If these airlines claim profitability and independent viability, free of subsidies, why not open their books?”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT – Lufthansa to U.S. government: Gulf carriers present “a challenge global aviation has not experienced in its long history”
Filing “welcomes and supports” findings of U.S. carriers’ study