are receiving an unfair competitive edge via government subsidies and benefits. A coalition that includes American Airlines,
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have asked the U.S. government to review its
Open Skies agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates after compiling a
report detailing $42 billion in what they called subsidies and unfair
benefits to Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. The three Gulf carriers
subsequently
disputed the U.S. carriers' claims. In a joint statement, the three U.S. agencies indicated
that they on Monday would begin accepting public comments on the matter, noting
that they "take
seriously the concerns raised in the report and [are] interested in receiving
insights and feedback from stakeholders before any decisions are made regarding
what action, if any, should be taken."