US: Emirates airline President warns US carriers on antitrust immunity

The United States’ largest airlines cannot pick and choose how its governments’ “open skies” agreements are enforced without consequences, Emirates airline President warned on Tuesday as he continues to fend off accusations of subsidies.

The three biggest US carriers — Delta, United and American — want their government to freeze Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways’ access to the country and open up consultations with their national governments over allegations of state subsidies.

“If you shutdown open skies, anti-trust immunity has to go because you are creating a competitive imbalance,” Tim Clark told reporters at the International Air Transport Association annual meet in Miami.

Open skies agreements, which the US has with the UAE and Qatar, allows airlines from the signatory countries to fly unrestricted between their home country and to the other signatory country.

In the US, domestic and their international partner airlines have received antitrust immunity, which allows them to coordinate on pricing and schedules, among other privileges.

Full content: The Wall Street Journal

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