Independence Day is a time for the nation to celebrate freedom and reflect on American values. And this Fourth of July, as a record number of individuals will be flying our red, white, and blue skies, we continue our work to protect American aviation jobs—and you can help.
Last month, hundreds of ALPA members took to Capitol Hill to speak to their elected leaders about trade violations from foreign airlines that threaten nearly 1.2 million U.S. aviation jobs.
The Trump Administration has rightly acknowledged that foreign government subsidies and a lack of transparency can affect a fair and equal opportunity for U.S. airlines to compete. While it is encouraging that the Administration has taken initial steps to end unfair trade practices and protect American jobs, Qatar continues to violate its commitment to the Administration on “Open Skies” . Significantly, Qatar Airways used its government subsidy-backed investment in Air Italy as a proxy to expand from Europe into the U.S. market on routes that do not touch Qatar. Without Qatar’s subsidized backing, Air Italy’s new U.S. routes wouldn’t be feasible.
The White House, Department of Transportation, and State Department must stand firm on these violations by Qatar. It’s time to put an end to government subsidies that give airlines an unfair advantage against U.S. airlines and threaten U.S. jobs.
TAKE ACTION: Fight for Open and Fair Skies
Join us on Twitter in urging the U.S. government to stop foreign airlines from violating U.S. trade agreements.
Two ways to fight:
- Retweet these messages:
- Write your own tweet: Use #OpenSkies and tag @WhiteHouse, @USDOT, and @StateDept to tell the U.S. government to defend American jobs.
Please join us in this critical initiative. Together, we can be a loud voice in defending U.S. jobs and protecting American aviation workers. For more information, read ALPA’s recent article and visit the Partnership for Open and Fair Skies.