America's biggest airlines are accusing Persian Gulf carriers of cheating - Vox

America's biggest airlines are accusing Persian Gulf carriers of cheating - Vox:



"Three of America's four largest airlines — American, United, and Delta — have teamed up with the labor unions representing their workers to form a coalition called Americans for Fair Skies, which is demanding US government action against three major airlines based in the Persian Gulf that are cheating on existing international agreements. Bill Shuster, the Republican chair of the House Transportation Committee, says the complaint has merit, and the Obama administration has agreed to review the matter.



The key complaint from the American airlines is that their three state-owned Gulf competitors — Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar — receive government subsidies that violate the terms of the existing Open Skies agreements between the US, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.



But the real stakes are less about legal details than about whom US transportation policy should favor: American aviation workers or American travelers. A crackdown on Gulf airlines could mean more jobs and higher pay for US-based aviation workers. But it could also mean higher prices and less choice for American international fliers, especially those bound for Asia."



'via Blog this'