A bipartisan group of over 300 members of Congress have voiced their support urging the U.S. government to enforce the Open Skies agreement. Namely, these Congressmen are concerned about the effects the "massively-subsidized" Gulf carriers are going to have on American jobs and the economy. These state-run carriers have not been playing by the same rules as other airlines, and due to their subsidies they do not have to comply with basic economic norms. These subsidies are a violation of the Open Skies agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which are currently going unenforced.
Jill Zuckman, the chief spokesperson for the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, said that these subsidies are having a deleterious effect on the American airline industry, and that the Gulf carriers are "foreign trade cheaters."
“The consensus in Congress is overwhelming – the massive Gulf carrier subsidies are hurting U.S. jobs, and our government cannot let these foreign trade cheaters threaten an entire American industry,” said Zuckman in a statement provided to Townhall.
Zuckman hopes that this large number is able to sway President Trump into action.
“With 300 members of Congress speaking out, we’re optimistic that the Trump administration will see that this issue unites Americans across the country and the political spectrum. But while 300 is a big number, what cannot be ignored are the over 1.2 million Americans whose jobs are at risk from subsidy-fueled Gulf carrier expansion.”
If other airlines and countries have to play by the rules, it's only fair that these Gulf carriers must as well. These treaties exist for a reason, and they should be enforced.
