FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Captain Dennis Tajer: 847-902-8481; Gregg Overman: 817-302-2250/817-312-3901
ALLIED PILOTS ASSOCIATION: EMIRATES AIRLINES’ JFK-MILAN SERVICE UNDER FLY AMERICA ACT “A SHAM”
FORT WORTH, Texas (September 9, 2016) — The Allied Pilots Association, certified collective bargaining agent for the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, characterized Emirates Airlines’ service from JFK to Milan under the Fly America Act as “a sham” and urged policymakers to comply with the act by awarding government-paid travel to U.S. carriers.
Emirates Airlines flies JFK-Milan through its code sharing agreement with JetBlue.
“JetBlue serves as the government contractor in name only,” said APA President Captain Dan Carey. “With no long-haul international service and no aircraft capable of operating a 4,000-mile trans-Atlantic flight, JetBlue should have been a non-starter for the Government Services Administration contract. For the GSA to award this service to JetBlue is nothing short of a sham and a violation of the Fly America Act.”
The act requires travelers to use U.S. air carrier service for all air travel and cargo services funded by the U.S. tax dollars.
Carey also pointed out that Emirates Airlines receives massive government subsidies. APA, American Airlines, and numerous other industry stakeholders have been urging the U.S. government to enter into consultations with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar regarding state subsidies to Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways, in accordance with the open skies treaties between the United States and those countries.
“American taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize Emirates Airlines,” Carey said. “It’s essential that the U.S. government protect fair and equal competition in our skies and comply with its own policies.”
Founded in 1963, the Allied Pilots Association — the largest independent pilots union in the United States — is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. APA represents the 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, including several hundred pilots on full-time military leave of absence serving in the armed forces. The union’s website is AlliedPilots.org. American Airlines is the world’s largest passenger airline.