It seems claims that Gulf carriers received government aid in excess of US$40bn to operate competitively will not go away. For Delta, United and American Airlines, the Open Skies Agreement, which was signed between the UAE, Qatar and the US nearly 20 years ago, is seen as an uneven playing field where government aid enabled these new airlines to grow rapidly, enter sectors of the market they would not have ordinarily been financially capable of, and begin to dominate long-established US airline routes. Basically the three major airlines remain opposed to the Open Skies agreement with the Gulf States, though perhaps it is their desire for further investigation into the supposed subsidies that is top of their agenda and not the agreement itself. To date 114 open skies agreements have been signed between the US and other foreign governments. This would appear to be the only one currently attracting attention.
However Delta, United and American Airlines aren't having it all their own way stateside. Other sectors connected with the aviation industry are keen to see the Open Skies agreement continued. For one, Boeing have seen their order books bulge with orders from the expanding Gulf Carriers, so guaranteeing many thousands of jobs. “Boeing supports a commercial-aviation industry based on open and fair competition, and Open Skies has long been a key factor in this, benefiting both US and international airlines,” a Boeing spokesman said.
FedEx were more blunt and in a quote from a letter sent by David Bronczeck, Chief Executive of FedEx's Express air cargo unit to the heads of the US Departments of State, Transportation and Commerce on the 18th February, “The US should not capitulate to the interests of a few carriers who stand ready to put their narrow, protectionist interests ahead of the economic benefits that Open Skies provides.” Additionally, JetBlue Airways, who has a codeshare agreement with Emirates, has also openly indicated it wishes to see no change to the Open Skies agreement.
The three major airlines' complaints could potentially put Barack Obama in an awkward position prior to a forthcoming election, but the balancing effect of Boeing and FedEx's input could prove a saving grace and provide sufficient reason not to tamper with the current agreement. New York University law professor, Michael Levine, made it clear in a statement that “I think the entry into the fray of Boeing and the others as countervailing pressures to the airlines will make it easier politically for the administration to do what I believe the Department of Transportation wants to do, namely, to continue to pursue its successful Open Skies strategy.”
Main Menu
Major players once more take opposing sides on US Open Skies agreement with Gulf carriers
Share this Article
Friday November 8, 2024
Pratt & Whitney together with Air New Zealand, held a ground-breaking ceremony for a US$150 million expansion of its Christchurch Engine Centre, adding 14,000 m² to the facility. This expansion will introduce maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabi... Read More »
Friday November 8, 2024
In the third quarter of 2024, Embraer delivered a total of 59 jets, marking a 26% increase quarter-over-quarter and a 37% rise year-over-year. Deliveries included 41 executive jets (22 light and 19 medium), 16 commercial jets, and two C-390 Millennium multi-mi... Read More »
Friday November 8, 2024
Rise Air, a fully Indigenous-owned airline serving Saskatchewan, is set to upgrade its fleet with three new 68-seat ATR 72-600 aircraft, becoming the first Canadian operator of ATR's latest -600 series. The airline has secured a firm order for its first ATR 72... Read More »
Friday November 8, 2024
Sabena technics Group, a prominent European provider of civil and government aeronautical services, has appointed Hervé Grandjean as CEO of the Group, effective January 1, 2025. Grandjean will succeed Philippe Rochet, who has successfully led the Group since ... Read More »
Friday November 8, 2024
Pan Am Flight Academy has announced the installation of a new Airbus A330 Full-Flight Simulator (FFS) at its Miami Training Centre, enhancing its ability to meet the rising demand for Airbus wide-body pilot training. Located in Pan Am's Axis Park facility in H... Read More »
Friday November 8, 2024
The Falkland Islands Government has signed a Letter of Intent with Britten-Norman to acquire four BN2B-26 Islander aircraft for US$9.75 million. This order is part of a wider effort to modernise the Falkland Islands Government Aviation Service (FIGAS) fleet as... Read More »
Friday November 8, 2024
The Emirates Group has recorded its highest-ever half-year financial results, achieving a pre-tax profit of AED 10.4 billion (US$ 2.8 billion) for the first six months of 2024-25, surpassing the previous record for the same period last year. This is the Group'... Read More »
Thursday November 7, 2024
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW) and MRO Japan (MJP) have announced a partnership in P2F conversions. This partnership will establish MJP as Japan's first conversion site for next-generation Airbus narrow-body P2F aircraft. The contract was signed at the inaugura... Read More »
Thursday November 7, 2024
IFPL Group‘s Cobalt Spectrum LED mood lighting system, complete with wireless control, has been chosen by Finnair for the cabin enhancement of its Embraer fleet. The Cobalt Spectrum LED mood lighting system enhances passenger experience by offering custo... Read More »
Thursday November 7, 2024
Safran Aircraft Engines has announced the appointment of Stéphane Cueille as CEO, effective January 1, 2025. He will succeed Jean-Paul Alary, who has chosen to pursue his career outside the group. Cueille will assume his new role following Alary's notice peri... Read More »
Thursday November 7, 2024
Satair, an Airbus Services company, and Eastern Airlines Technic, a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines (CES), have inked a letter of intent (LOI) to explore a potential collaboration. This proposed partnership will focus on delivering a comprehensive materia... Read More »
Thursday November 7, 2024
AJW Group has signed a multi-year power-by-the-hour (PBH) agreement with Enter Air Sp., the largest private airline operating in Poland. The contract, which commenced on November 1, 2024, covers 22 Boeing 737NG aircraft and includes a comprehensive logistics s... Read More »
Thursday November 7, 2024
Airbus and Østnes Helicopters, the official distributor for Airbus Helicopters in the Nordic countries, have announced a contract for ten Airbus H125 helicopters at this year's European Rotors. These aircraft will join a fleet of over 150 H125s in the region,... Read More »
Thursday November 7, 2024
On Wednesday, November 6, budget airline Wizz Air lost its legal challenge against a capital increase for its Romanian rival TAROM, funded by the Romanian government and approved by EU competition regulators. The General Court of the European Union, Europe's s... Read More »
Wednesday November 6, 2024
Global Medical Response (GMR) has placed an order for 28 Airbus helicopters as part of its ongoing efforts to expand its air medical fleet. The order includes six H125s, five H130s, 14 H135s and three H145s, strengthening GMR's fleet and positioning it as one ... Read More »
Wednesday November 6, 2024
SIA Engineering Group (SIAEC) has released its half-year results, indicating a robust demand for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services in the first half of the financial year ending 30 September 2024. All operating segments achieved higher revenue. G... Read More »
Wednesday November 6, 2024
Lilium N.V., the electric aircraft manufacturer and pioneer in Regional Air Mobility (RAM), has appointed KPMG to lead an open, transparent and fair M&A process, with initial investor briefings set to begin soon. This follows a significant step in Lilium's... Read More »
Wednesday November 6, 2024
IBA, the aviation market intelligence and advisory company, has reported that the airline industry has recovered from the pandemic, with the outlook for 2024 showing all regions surpassing 2019 capacity levels, while revenues and yields stabilised in 2023 and ... Read More »
Wednesday November 6, 2024
Condor is set to broaden its flight schedule in summer 2025, adding eight vibrant cities ideal for city breaks. From Frankfurt, Condor will offer one daily flight each to Rome (FCO), Milan (MXP), Prague (PRG), Vienna (VIE), Zurich (ZRH), Berlin (BER), Hamburg ... Read More »
Wednesday November 6, 2024
Crestone Air Partners (Crestone), a comprehensive aviation asset management platform, has announced its acquisition of a Boeing 737-800 aircraft from a securitisation managed by Castlelake. The aircraft is currently on lease with MIAT Mongolian Airlines. This ... Read More »
Aviation News Categories
2023 MEDIA KIT
Tamar Jorssen
[email protected]
Phone: +1 (778) 213 8543
Malte Tamm
[email protected]
Phone: +49 (0)162 8263049