Release #: 17.05
January 23, 2017

Emirates’ New Athens-Newark Flights Fueled by UAE Gov’t Subsidies

WASHINGTON––The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) issued the following statement regarding Emirates Airline’s plans to operate daily flights from Newark to Dubai through Athens beginning March 12.

“Emirates’ skyrocketing growth, including its planned Dubai-Athens-Newark service, is possible only because of the massive subsidies the airline receives from the United Arab Emirates government. These enormous subsidies put U.S. airlines at a tremendous economic disadvantage and threaten U.S. airline workers’ jobs––and fly in the face of the Trump administration’s ‘America First’ governing philosophy. Emirates could not purchase the aircraft or operate the extensive route network it does without massive subsidies from its government. 

“The U.S. government must ensure that its Open Skies agreements maintain a global business environment that is undistorted by foreign government subsidies. U.S. aviation workers are ready and willing to compete internationally, but the marketplace must be free from foreign government distortion.

“We urge the Trump administration to do what the Obama administration failed to do and stand up for U.S. workers and demand that the United Arab Emirates government end these subsidies and restore fair competition for U.S. companies while safeguarding U.S. workers’ jobs.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents over 54,000 pilots at 31 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA.

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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org