7.07.15 – (LAA/LUS) – Video – “Flight Attendants Urge U.S. Senators to Join Fight for a Level Playing Field”

   

July 7, 2015

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The Partnership For Open Skies issued the following press release and video today featuring APFA members lobbying the U.S. Senate.

To view the video, click here.
 

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For Immediate Release
Contact:
Sabrina Singh
[email protected]

 

Fly-In Stresses Need to Protect American Jobs in the Face of Billions of Dollars in Subsidies from Gulf Nations

Washington, D.C. (July 7, 2015) – Today, the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies released a new video showcasing some of the flight attendants who have been visiting Capitol Hill to educate lawmakers on the immediate harm that the continued subsidization of the Gulf carriers is having on the American aviation industry and American jobs. Members of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) met with numerous senators to ask for help encouraging the U.S. government to request consultations with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

“Flight attendants understand that their jobs are on the chopping block as Qatar and the UAE continue to subsidize their airlines with billions of dollars in violation of Open Skies policy. That is why they are urging lawmakers to stand up for American jobs and the U.S. aviation industry,” said Jill Zuckman, chief spokesperson for the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies.

“The subsidies the Gulf carriers receive allow them to undercut U.S. airlines on pricing, forcing the U.S. airlines to cut routes where they can no longer compete, impacting thousands of American jobs,” said Laura Glading, National President of the APFA. “On behalf of our 25,000 flight attendants, we are simply asking for the U.S. government to address these subsidies so we can compete on a level playing field.”

The video can be viewed here.

The Partnership, along with over 260 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 21 U.S. senators, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, representing over 1,400 mayors of major U.S. cities, and dozens of business, trade and economic groups around the country, is asking the U.S. government to request consultations with Qatar and UAE and ask for an immediate freeze on the introduction of new passenger service by the Gulf carriers during these consultations.
 

Leslie Mayo
APFA National Communications Chair