The CEOs of the three largest U.S. airlines have requested
to meet new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. With new leadership in place, the
carriers want to raise again their claims that Gulf carriers benefit from
subsidies in violation of U.S. Open Skies agreements.
A letter to Tillerson cosigned by American Airlines CEO Doug
Parker, Delta CEO Ed Bastian and United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz asked the
State Department to review agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates,
saying the department is responsible for "leading the effort to enforce
these Open Skies agreements against efforts by foreign governments to harm U.S.
industries and the jobs they support." The letter claims "$50 billion
in documented subsidies" for Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways since
2004, which "undermine the basic principles of fair and open competition
that are the foundation of U.S. Open Skies policy."
The claims, of course, are
nothing new, as the carriers and other allies have been pushing for an Open
Skies review for about two years via a coalition called the Partnership for
Open & Fair Skies. While the Obama administration reviewed their concerns, it
did not open formal consultations. The coalition is hoping for a more
sympathetic ear from President Donald Trump's administration.
The
Gulf carriers consistently have
countered that the coalition's data is inaccurate and that they do not
benefit from government subsidies.