US Travel Association not in support of American jobs, consumers and companies?

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

United Airlines, American Airlines or Delta might think the US Travel Association may no longer be in support of American jobs, consumers and companies.

United Airlines, American Airlines or Delta might think the US Travel Association may no longer be in support of American jobs, consumers and companies.

Jill Zuckman, chief spokesperson for the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, a coalition of most US-based commercial passenger airlines, is asking this question in a statement just released to eTurboNews.

The following statement was received today in response to media reports on an outdated paper examining the US aviation industry:

โ€œIt is laughable that a two-decade-old unpublished paper examining US aviation since 1918 is being trumpeted as โ€˜evidenceโ€™ that US airlines are supported the way that the United Arab Emirates and Qatar routinely subsidize their airlines.

โ€œThis is a case of distract and dissemble. Funding for air mail, Post Office support, and the National Weather Service is a far cry from the well-documented $42 billion dollars in direct subsidies and other unfair state support the Middle East carriers receive.

โ€œEven more preposterous, the vast majority of the so-called subsidy includes the entire annual budgets for the Federal Aviation Administration from 1958 to 1998 and the cost of building air traffic control towers decades ago. Calling FAA funding a subsidy for commercial airlines is akin to calling paved roads and traffic lights a subsidy for the taxi industry. In fact, US airlines send billions of dollars to the federal government every year to cover the cost of aviation services.

โ€œIt is a shame that the US Travel Association and the Business Travel Coalition are acting at the behest of funders friendly to the Middle East carriers and their governments, rather than in the best interests of American jobs, consumers and companies.

โ€œIt is time to ensure US airlines and their workers are operating on a level playing field with their state-funded competitors in the Middle East. US airlines shouldnโ€™t have to compete with the treasuries of foreign governments who offer their state-owned carriers blank checks.โ€

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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