RAHM EMANUEL 

MAYOR 

The Honorable John Kerry 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of State 

2201 C Street N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20520 

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR 

CITY OF CHICAGO 

May 7, 2015 

The Honorable Anthony F oxx 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue S.E. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

Dear Secretaries Kerry, F oxx and Pritzker: 

The Honorable Penny Pritzker 

Secretary 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

1401 Constitution Avenue N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20230 

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the recent reports that Qatar Airways, 

Etihad Airways and Emirates Airways are in violation of the Open Skies agreements with the 

United States. In the past, I welcomed the expansion of Qatar and Emirates to Chicago's O'Hare 

International Airport and while I continue to encourage international airlines to bring their flights 

and passengers to our city, I have serious concerns about the unfair government subsidies and 

benefits the Middle East carriers have received and the impact on the U.S. airlines. 

I strongly believe that every airline flying into O'Hare must play by the same set of rules, 

but currently, that's not what is happening. It's been reported that the Gulf carriers have received 

over $42 billion in subsidies and other unfair benefits from their governments - subsidies that I 

know you are aware American carriers do not receive from our government. 

That foreign government funding means they aren't accountable to market forces. It has 

allowed these Gulf carriers to grow at an astounding rate, with an expanding global presence and 

a substantial cost advantage over U.S. carriers. They do not offer supply in the face of demand, 

and as a result, they are able to draw passengers and revenue away from U.S. carriers. 

Importantly, that funding also puts them in violation of the Open Skies policies that require open 

and fair competition. 

It's imperative that the U.S. government stands up to protect the domestic aviation 

industry, which is so important to our economy and the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of 

workers across the nation. The three major U.S. airlines employ over 25,000 people in the 

Chicago area, while the Gulf carriers employ less than 50. Standing by American carriers means 

standing by hardworking Americans. 

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I strongly urge you to open consultations with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to 

address this flow of subsidized flights into the United States. Additionally, while the discussions 

are ongoing, I think it's important that a freeze is put in place on new routes by the Middle East 

carriers. 

We cannot let what happened to European markets and airports happen here in America. 

International service in Europe has plateaued in the last decade, while the airports in Dubai, Abu 

Dhabi, and Qatar see huge international passenger and service growth, despite the lack of a 

robust domestic market. France and Germany have already frozen Gulf carrier traffic rights, and 

the European Commission has asked the United Kingdom to do the same. 

Left unchecked, these disruptions to the international economy will harm the U.S. 

aviation industry, leading to service reductions in important hub markets like Chicago and a loss 

of good American jobs. As the burden of competing in an unfair market forces U.S. carriers to 

cut international routes, the airlines will eventually have to make sacrifices here at home. 

We must open consultations with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to protect fair and 

equal competition in our skies. 

Sincerely, 

Mayor 

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