Trump Administration fully reaffirms U.S.-UAE Open Skies unlimited flying rights

WASHINGTON, DC – Business Travel Coalition (BTC) applauded the Trump Administration for safeguarding the long-standing and pioneering United States (U.S.) Open Skies aviation policy and the associated consumer competitive choice that Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines (Big Three) sought to eliminate in their mega-million dollar political campaign to crush new entry to the U.S. by Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways(Gulf Carriers).

The Administration announced a final breakthrough-resolution to that ultimately failed anti-competitive and anti-consumer campaign against airline new entry. In the Joint Statement on the Sixth U.S.-UAE Economic Policy Dialogue, the two governments reaffirmed the U.S.-UAE Open Skies agreement and all flying rights without limitation guaranteed by it. That Joint Statement unequivocally emphasized the “ongoing commitment of the United States and the United Arab Emirates to fully maintain all aspects of their Open Skies relationship.”

“Beyond ending an unfortunate chapter in U.S.-UAE aviation relations, this is an important victory for Open Skies policy, individual consumers and government, university and corporate organizations that field millions of business travelers to Europe and across the globe annually,” stated BTC chairman Kevin Mitchell. “At a time of historic market concentration such as some 90 percent of seats in the U.S.-Europe market controlled by the Big Three and their alliance and joint venture partners, who collectively are immune from antitrust oversight, consumers need more, not less, competitive choice,” added Mitchell.

In a world where antitrust immunity allows alliances and joint ventures to fix prices, collude to constrain capacity at profit-maximizing levels and coordinate schedules, the competitive choice preserved by this reaffirmation of Open Skies policy is a huge victory for consumers.

Tags: Business Travel Coalition, Open Skies