Recent News
11 Signatories Oppose “Fair and Open Skies Act”
House Letter Opposing FOSA Senate Letter Opposing S1752 We, the undersigned organizations, write in opposition to companion legislation to S. 1752 that is expected to be introduced in the House. The bill would place the [...]
USAOS Statement in Opposition to “Fair and Open Skies Act”
U.S. Airlines for Open Skies released the following statement in opposition to the “Fair and Open Skies Act of 2019” today: "For nearly three decades, Open Skies agreements – first pioneered and proliferated by the United States – have greatly expanded [...]
USAOS Reacts to Introduction of Fair and Open Skies Act
U.S. Airlines for Open Skies released the following statement in reaction to the introduction of the “Fair and Open Skies Act of 2019” this morning: "The Fair and Open Skies Act of 2019 placates a [...]
USAOS Congratulates U.S.-UAE on Affirmation of Open Skies Agreement
U.S. Airlines for Open Skies issued this statement following the release of the joint U.S.-UAE statement on the sixth US-U.A.E. Economic Policy Dialogue: "The U.S. Airlines for Open Skies coalition congratulates the governments of the [...]
FedEx, JetBlue, and Atlas Air Release Letter Setting Record Straight on Open Skies
Fred Smith, Chairman and CEO of FedEx, Robin Hayes, CEO of JetBlue, and Bill Flynn, President and CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide – each a member of the U.S. Airlines for Open Skies Coalition (USAOS) [...]
Blog – Giving Passengers the (Fifth) Freedom to Fly
If you’ve been paying attention to the subject of Open Skies, you’ve probably heard the term “fifth freedom” thrown around a lot, if not “first freedom,” “second freedom,” and so on as well. Well, what [...]
Statement on U.S.-UAE Open Skies Discussions
May 14, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrea Christianson; achristianson@hamiltonps.com; (202) 617-3888 Statement on U.S.-UAE Open Skies Discussions Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Airlines for Open Skies coalition issued the following statement today after the official [...]
Blog – Hypocrisy Takes Flight: Delta, American, And United Airlines And Open Skies Agreements
For decades, the United States has entered into Open Skies agreements to foster global competition, lower airfares, and increase consumer choice in aviation. These reciprocal agreements between the United States and other countries create open, [...]
Blog – Don’t Let One-Sided Pundits Distract From the Facts on Open Skies Agreements
Several recent opinion pieces published in outlets like the Washington Times have repeated calls for the Trump Administration to reopen U.S. Open Skies agreements with two of America's trading partners. These anticompetitive demands driven by [...]
Statement on Open Skies Understanding Announcement
January 30, 2018 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrea Christianson; achristianson@hamiltonps.com; (202) 617-3888 Statement on State Department Open Skies Understanding Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Airlines for Open Skies Coalition issued the following statement after the [...]
Statement on State Department Meeting
December 12, 2017 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrea Christianson; achristianson@hamiltonps.com; (202) 617-3888 Statement on State Department Meeting Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Airlines for Open Skies Coalition today issued the following statement after the State [...]
New Poll Shows Strong Support For Upholding Open Skies Agreements
December 6, 2017 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrea Christianson; achristianson@hamiltonps.com; (202) 617-3888 New Poll Shows Strong Support For Upholding Open Skies Agreements Respondents say legacy carriers should go through DOT process before lobbying on Open [...]
Statement on Section 14505 of Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
November 28, 2017 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrea Christianson; achristianson@hamiltonps.com; (202) 617-3888 Statement on Section 14505 of Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Washington, D.C. - U.S. Airlines for Open Skies (USAOS) released the following statement on Section [...]
Open Skies & Subsidies
The US Legacy Carriers Complain About Gulf Carriers, But Benefit from Alliances with Foreign Government-Owned Airlines Delta, United and American Airlines ("Legacy Carriers") complain about competition from state-owned carriers Emirates, Qatar and Etihad. But the Legacy [...]
New Fact Sheet Finds Open Skies Agreements Support More Than 16.6 Million U.S. Jobs
August 21, 2017 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrea Christianson; achristianson@hamiltonps.com; (202) 617-3888 Download Fact Sheet PDF New Fact Sheet Finds Open Skies Agreements Support More Than 16.6 Million U.S. Jobs Washington D.C. – Today, the [...]
Airline, Travel, And Tourism Organizations Voice Support For Open Skies In New Letter
August 7, 2017 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrea Christianson; achristianson@hamiltonps.com; (202) 617-3888 Download Letter PDF Airline, Travel, And Tourism Organizations Voice Support For Open Skies In New Letter Washington D.C. – Today, more than 25 [...]
Skift: Pro-Open Skies Group Tries To Reach Trump Where It Matters — On Cable TV
Brian Sumers - July 11, 2017 In a bid to reach President Trump through his favored medium, a trade group representing four influential travel and transportation brands is buying cable TV ads asking the president [...]
Pacific Business News: Hawaiian, Other U.S. Airlines Launch Advertisements Urging Trump To Uphold Open Skies Agreements
Katie Murar - July 11, 2017 As the first U.S. Open Skies agreement turns 25, the U.S. Airlines For Open Skies Coalition - comprised of four U.S. airlines including Hawaiian - is launching advertisements this week [...]
VIDEO: President Trump, Uphold Our Open Skies Agreements
The U.S. Airlines For Open Skies Coalition (USAOS) supports the United States’ Open Skies agreements, which promote U.S. jobs and economic growth. USAOS calls on the Trump Administration to reject the demands of [...]
USAOS Letter To Ambassador Lighthizer
May 15, 2017 Ambassador Robert Lighthizer United States Trade Representative Office of the U.S. Trade Representative 600 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20508 download PDF Dear Ambassador Lighthizer, As the CEOs of four leading U.S. [...]
USAOS Jobs Fact Sheet
Legacy Carriers Demand Actions That Would Hurt U.S. Jobs download PDF Delta, United, and American ("legacy carriers") have launched an aggressive and misleading lobbying campaign to restrict access to U.S. routes for two U.S. Open [...]
2017 Aviation Summit Highlights
The 2017 Aviation Summit featured a number of speakers and panelists in the industry, including a number of our coalition's business leaders and allies. The Airline CEO Panel "Maintaining Speed and Altitude," featuring Robin Hayes (JetBlue), [...]
FedEx & JetBlue Respond To Washington Times Column
FedEx President David Bronczek and JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes wrote the following in response to a March 2nd column by Kelly Riddell in The Washington Times. In this response, Bronczek and Hayes set the record straight [...]
USAOS Aviation Subcommittee Hearing Comments
March 14, 2017 The Honorable Frank Lobiondo, Chairman The Honorable Rick Larsen, Ranking Member Subcommittee on Aviation Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure U.S. House of Representatives 2251 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 download [...]
USAOS Letter To Secretary Ross
February 28, 2017 The Honorable Wilbur Ross Secretary of Commerce U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20230 download PDF Dear Secretary of Commerce Ross, As the CEOs of four leading U.S. cargo and passenger airlines, [...]
Press Release: Statement On President Trump’s Meeting With U.S. Airline Leaders
February 9, 2017 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrea McCarthy; amccarthy@hamiltonps.com; (202) 617-3888 download PDF USAOS Statement on President Trump's Meeting with U.S. Airline Leaders Washington D.C. – The U.S. Airlines for Open Skies Coalition (USAOS) today issued the [...]
Press Release: USAOS Writes Letters To Secretaries Tillerson And Chao
February 7, 2017 For Immediate Release Contact: Andrea McCarthy; amccarthy@hamiltonps.com; (202) 617-3888 download PDF USAOS Calls On Secretaries Tillerson And Chao To Protect U.S. Open Skies Agreements; Reject Demands Of Legacy Carriers Washington D.C. – Today, the U.S. Airlines for Open [...]
USAOS Letter To Secretary Chao
February 7, 2017 The Honorable Elaine Chao Secretary of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 download PDF Dear Secretary of Transportation Chao, As the CEOs of four leading U.S. [...]
USAOS Letter To Secretary Tillerson
February 7, 2017 The Honorable Rex Tillerson Secretary of State U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20520 download PDF Dear Secretary of State Tillerson, As the CEOs of four leading U.S. [...]
USAOS Letter to VP-Elect Pence
December 7, 2016 Vice President-elect Mike Pence Chairman Presidential Transition Team 1800 F Street NW, Room G117 Washington, DC 20270–0117 download PDF Dear Vice President-elect Pence, As members of U.S. Airlines for Open Skies (USAOS), [...]
New York Times: U.S. Airlines Face Uphill Struggle Against Mideast Rivals
“...this isn’t the United States against the U.A.E. and Qatar, it is three U.S. airlines who favor protectionism over competition,”
Business Travel Coalition: OpenSkies.travel Background & Membership Information
The U.S. Open Skies policy and resultant market liberalization agreements entered into with governments around the world are under attack...
Wall Street Journal Letter to the Editor: Bowing To Big 3 Demands Would Hurt The Economy
U.S. open-skies agreements promote tourism and U.S. jobs, generate $4 billion in annual savings for passengers on U.S.-international routes...
The Hill: Keep The Skies Open
America's three most powerful air carriers are asking the government to raise new barriers that would limit competition among passenger...
Politico: JetBlue CEO Says Big Three Don’t Speak For Everybody
Politico: JetBlue CEO Says Big Three Don't Speak For Everybody Kathy Wolfe - August 25, 2015 In the Open Skies fight, the feud so often gets characterized as U.S. airlines vs. Gulf carriers. But [...]
Politico: New Open Skies Group Argues Fight Isn’t Just About Big 3 And Gulf Carriers
Politico: New Open Skies Group Argues Fight Isn't Just About Big 3 And Gulf Carriers Jennifer Scholtes - August 8, 2015 A newly-formed group that contains some U.S. airlines — called U.S. Airlines for Open Skies — want knownthat [...]
Aviation Daily: Passenger, Cargo Airlines Band Together In Support Of Open Skies
Aviation Week: Passenger, Cargo Airlines Band Together In Support Of Open Skies Madhu Unnikrishnan - August 4, 2015 A new coalition of U.S. airlines has thrown its support behind the government’s existing open skies [...]
The Hill: Smaller Airlines Fight Back In Open Skies Debate
The Hill: Smaller Airlines Fight Back In Open Skies Debate Keith Lang - August 4, 2015 The new group wrote in a letter to the departments of State, Commerce and Transportation that the major [...]
Travel Pulse: Open Skies Update – New US Airline Coalition Sides With Gulf Carriers
Travel Pulse: New US Airline Coalition Sides With Gulf Carriers Rich Thomaselli - August 4, 2015 Four U.S. airlines have banded together to support Persian Gulf carriers in a dispute over the Open Skies [...]
Reuters: New U.S. Airline Group Backs Gulf Carriers In Open Skies Dispute
Reuters: New U.S. Airline Group Backs Gulf Carriers In Open Skies Dispute Lucas Jackson - August 3, 2015 A challenge by U.S. airlines that accuses three Gulf carriers of distorting competition via government subsidies [...]
Air Transport World: New US Airline Coalition Opposes ‘Big 3’ Gulf Campaign
Air Transport World: New US Airline Coalition Opposes 'Big 3' Gulf Campaign Karen Walker - August 3, 2015 Four US airlines have formed a new coalition to oppose the campaign to fight expansion of [...]
Wall Street Journal: Four U.S. Airlines Object To Complaints Against Persian Gulf Airlines
Wall Street Journal: Four U.S. Airlines Object To Complaints Against Persian Gulf Airlines Susan Carey - August 3, 2015 A long-running attempt by the three largest U.S. passenger airlines to persuade their government to [...]
USAOS Filing To U.S. Departments Of State, Transportation, and Commerce
Open Skies promotes competition in the aviation sector, increases choice and reduces costs for consumers, facilitates exports for U.S. businesses...
JetBlue Filing To U.S. Departments Of State, Transportation, and Commerce
JetBlue urges the Department to reject the legacy carriers’ call for a freeze on international airline growth to the United States...
Hawaiian Airlines Filing To U.S. Departments Of State, Transportation, and Commerce
Any departure from the Open Skies policy has the prospect of ushering in an era where rights to fly between countries are exchanged on a mercantilist basis.
Atlas Air Worldwide Filing To U.S. Departments Of State, Transportation, and Commerce
Although recent critics sometimes have suggested otherwise, U.S. air carriers have benefitted greatly from the open skies agreements that have been negotiated.
Brookings: Open Skies – Estimating Traverlers’ Benefits From Free Trade In Airline Services
Brookings: Open Skies - Estimating Traverlers' Benefits From Free Trade In Airline Services Clifford Winston and Jia Yan The United States has negotiated bilateral open skies agreements to deregulate airline competition on US international [...]
U.S. Travel Association: Response To Airline Unions On Open Skies
U.S. Travel Association: Response To Airline Unions On Open Skies March 19, 2015 Statement from U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow in response to concerns expressed by airline unions over Open Skies: "We [...]
FedEx Filing To U.S. Departments Of State, Transportation, and Commerce
FedEx and the other U.S. cargo carriers depend on Open Skies to provide our aircraft and their important cargo access to global marketplaces.
New York Times: Open-Skies Agreements Challenged
New York Times: Open-Skies Agreements Challenged Jad Mouawad - February 6, 2015 For more than two decades, domestic airlines and successive administrations have pushed for, and achieved, broad international agreements that have fostered greater [...]