Washington, D.C. (June 11, 2015) – Jill Zuckman, chief spokesperson for the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Travel Association’s letter to the U.S. Government:

“We agree with the U.S. Travel Association that Open Skies agreements have benefited the United States and we stand behind these valuable policies. But when other countries aren’t abiding by their end of the deal, the U.S. needs to stand up for its aviation industry and enforce the rules. In this case, Open Skies is clear – subsidies are a violation of the policy. The more than $42 billion in subsidies and unfair benefits provided by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates have been well documented, as has the fact that these airlines have created no new demand among passengers.

“U.S. Travel blatantly ignores the Gulf carriers’ unfair tactics that simply shifts passengers away from U.S. airlines thanks to their government subsidies. Unfortunately, it's not surprising that U.S. Travel is rushing to defend the state-owned Gulf carriers since the U.S. hotel industry relies on Gulf state money for future growth and expansion in the Middle East. But that’s no excuse for distorting our position. Let’s set the record straight: we fully support a competitive and robust airline industry on a level playing field.”