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 Agreement. JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, FedEx and Atlas Air have formed the U.S. Airlines for Open Skies Coalition, a show of force against the three major domestic carriers — American, Delta and United — who have alleged that Emirates, Etihad and Qatar have skewed the international travel marketplace by accepting subsidies from their respective governments.

What Are Open Skies Treaties?

They are agreements between the United States and other countries that create open, competitive markets for international air travel. They enable airlines, not governments, to make decisions about routes, capacity, frequency, and pricing of their services, based on market demand.

About Us

U.S. Airlines for Open Skies (USAOS) is a coalition of four U.S. passenger and cargo carriers – Atlas Air Worldwide, FedEx, JetBlue Airways, and Cargo Airline Association – in support of the United States' Open Skies agreements, which promote U.S. jobs and economic growth.