Washington, D.C. (June 30, 2015) – In response to a new public filing from Emirates attempting to explain the $6.8 billion in subsidies and unfair benefits it has received from the United Arab Emirates government, Jill Zuckman, chief spokesperson for the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, released the following statement:

“Emirates can submit as many pages as it wants, but it still won’t paper over what has been well-documented: Emirates has received billions in subsidies and unfair benefits from the treasury of the UAE. Our investigation shows that these massive subsidies have allowed Emirates, Etihad and Qatar airlines to expand far beyond what market forces could ever support, distorting international competition and tilting the playing field to its advantage.

“With American jobs at stake, the time for action is increasingly urgent. We respectfully ask that the U.S. government request consultations with Qatar and the UAE, and stand up against these unfair government subsidies that violate our Open Skies agreement.”