DAVID I . RAMADAN 

2~0~0 RIDING PLAZA# I 30·6~0 

SOUTH RIDING, VIRGINIA 20 I ~2 

EIGHTY-SEVENTH DISTRICT 

The Honorable John Kerry 

Secretary of State 

U.S. Department of State 

2201 C Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20520 

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA 

HOUSE OF DELEGATES 

RICHMOND 

The Honorable Anthony Foxx 

Secretary of Transportation 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

The Honorable Penny S. Pritzker 

Secretary of Commerce 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

1401 Constitution Avenue, NW 

Washington, DC 20230 

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS. 

PRIVILEGES AND ELECTIONS 

GENERAL LAWS 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

Re: Dockets No. DOS-2015-0016, DOT-OST-2015-0082, and DOC-2015-0001 

Dear Secretaries Kerry, Foxx and Pritzker: 

As a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and Co-Chairman of the Business 

Development Caucus, I urge you not to renegotiate the Open Skies agreements. I was 

born and raised in Lebanon and currently do business in the Middle East helping 

American franchise companies expand to that market and beyond to Asia; and thus I 

know firsthand the value of 'Open Skies'! It is imperative that the United States 

maintain its existing travel relationships with the Gulf States established by these 

agreements to preserve competition and a free market in the airline industry. 

If the government prevents Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Emirates from 

offering service between the United States and the Middle East, US citizens traveling 

to the Middle East and Asia for business and pleasure will lose access to the low-cost 

options and quality of service that they deserve and should expect. 

DISTRICT· (703) 348·70 I 5 • RICHMOND <804> 698·1087 • E-MAIL: DELDRAMADAN@HOUSE.VIRGINIA.GOV 
Throughout the last few years, our domestic airlines have consolidated to reduce 

costs and, as they have said, to offer better services to our constituents. When 

American Airlines and US Airways closed their merger in December 2013, they said 

that their "customers will soon enjoy access to more benefits and increased service" 

through a combined airline. 

A year after their merger, however, one has to ask how our travelers have benefitted 

from this deal and the other U.S. airline consolidations. Fares have remained high, 

travelers are still subjected to additional fees and service remains inconsistent. 

While I still travel to the Middle East on United due to my preference to buy 

American services and products, our constituents are unhappy with the U.S. airlines, 

as Delta, United and American scored significantly lower ratings on a 2014 

passenger survey than their Gulf State counterparts, which all ranked in the top 10. 

The Gulf based airlines offer the level of service the U.S. airlines should be providing. 

They have invested significant resources in acquiring new fleets of state-of-the-art 

planes and have expanded their international service between the United States and 

the Middle East to provide additional, lower cost options for travelers. I would love 

to see our US airlines competing on that level of service -but not by stifling 

competition!! 

I also find it ironic that the "Big 3" domestic carriers are whining about "subsidies" 

when they have received billions in bankruptcy protections, pension bailouts and 

U.S. government handouts. 

We Americans take pride in our open markets and free trade principals. I represent 

Virginia's 87th House District which is home to Dulles Airport. My constituents want 

more competition and the best service money can buy. Please keep the Open Skies 

agreements with the Gulf States in place and send a message to the U.S. airlines that 

if they are unhappy with the competition from Etihad, Qatar and Emirates, they 

need to improve their own services. 

Sincerely, 

David Ramadan