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CWW

Serving 700,000 Michigan Residents 

 CWW Represents: 

Cities: Belleville, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, 

Inkster, Livonia, Northville, Plymouth, Romulus, Wayne and Westland 

Townships: Canton Charter Township, Huron Charter Township, Northville Charter Township, 

Plymouth Charter Township, Redford Charter Township, Sumpter Township and 

Van Buren Charter Township. 

CWW RESOLUTION 2015-101 

A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF DELTA AIR LINES IN ITS 

URGING THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO REQUEST 

CONSULTATIONS THROUGH THE EXISTING OPEN SKIES

AGREEMENTS WITH THE COUNTRIES OF QATAR AND THE 

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) TO ADDRESS UNFAIR, 

SUBSIDIZED COMPETITION BY THEIR STATE-OWNED AIR 

CARRIERS. 

May 8, 2015 

WHEREAS, the Conference of Western Wayne (CWW) is a bipartisan consortium of eighteen 

western Wayne County communities in Southeast Michigan, working regionally to improve local 

government and local services through cooperation and collaboration; and 

WHEREAS, the CWW Board of Directors consists of the Chief Elected Officials from all 

eighteen member communities whose population exceeds 700,000 and are the communities 

that host essential businesses in the State of Michigan; and 

WHEREAS, beginning in 1992 with the negotiation of the very first Open Skies agreement, the 

United States has explicitly and rigorously insisted that in exchange for granting foreign airlines 

the freedom to fly to and from the United States, Open Skies partners ensure a level, 

competitive playing field. Anticipating that circumstances could change, the United States and 

its Open Skies partners have also agreed that every Open Skies agreement have a provision for 

consultations to address problems relating to the agreements and to agree in good faith on 

measures to resolve them. 

Conference of Western Wayne 

39293 Plymouth Road 

Suite 101 

Livonia, MI 48150 

734.953.8834 
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CWW Resolution 2015-101 

Open Skies Agreements 

Page 2 

WHEREAS, evidence gathered during a global, two-year long investigation reveals that two 

countries with Open Skies agreements, Qatar and the UAE, have been providing massive 

subsidies and other extraordinary benefits to their state-owned airlines that have already caused 

a substantial distortion of international markets. If unchecked, these practices could threaten 

the airline industry, aviation jobs, and communities throughout the United States.

WHEREAS, as these Gulf carriers are highly subsidized, they have grown at an astounding 

rate, expanding their global presence without concern for financial returns. Over the past 

decade, the governments of Qatar and the UAE have granted $42 billion in subsidies and other 

unfair benefits to their state-owned carriers. These Gulf carriers aren’t subject to corporate 

income taxes or fuel taxes, and are exempt from costly requirements imposed on their foreign 

competitors, allowing the carriers t avoid paying their own way. The governments of Qatar and 

the UAE have banned unions and suppress the rights of their employees, saving their carriers 

billions of dollars from below-market labor costs. 

WHEREAS, at stake in Detroit are the following: 1) more than 7,500 Delta Airlines jobs at DTW 

and 10,000 jobs including Delta carrier connections throughout Michigan; 2) over 465 daily 

Delta flights out of DTW, serving more than 125 destinations; 3) an estimated economic impact 

of the commercial airline industry in Michigan is $17.6 billion; and 4) Delta activity at DTW 

generates over $210 million in annual tax revenue for the State of Michigan. 

FURTHERMORE, The Need to Address Subsidized Competition from State-Owned Airlines in 

Qatar and the UAE is a 55-page paper commissioned by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and 

United Airlines and presented to the U.S. Government. 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Conference of Western Wayne supports Delta

Air Lines in urging the U.S. Government to request consultations through the existing Open 

Skies agreements with Qatar and the UAE to address the unfair, subsidized competition, and 

also to seek a freeze on the introduction of new passenger service by the Gulf carriers during 

these consultations. 
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CWW Resolution 2015-101 

Open Skies Agreements 

Page 3 

Supervisor Tracey Schultz Kobylarz, CWW Chairperson of the Board

 

 I attest that this is a true and correct copy of the Motion 

 adopted by the CWW Board of Directors at its regular 

 meeting held on May 8, 2015 in the City of Romulus, MI. 

 

Motion: Mayor LeRoy Burcroff, City of Romulus 

Second: Supervisor David Glaab, Huron Charter Township 

Ayes: Supervisor Tracey Schultz Kobylarz, Redford Charter Township, Chair 

 Supervisor Phil LaJoy, Canton Charter Township, Secretary 

 Mayor Jack O’Reilly, City of Dearborn 

 Mayor Pro Tem Jaylee Lynch, City of Garden City 

 Supervisor David Glaab, Huron Charter Township 

 Mayor Jack Kirksey, City of Livonia 

 Mayor Chris Johnson, City of Northville 

 Supervisor Robert Nix II, Northville Charter Township 

 Mayor Dan Dwyer, City of Plymouth 

 Supervisor Shannon Price, Plymouth Charter Township 

 Mayor LeRoy Burcroff, City of Romulus 

 Karen Armatis, Deputy Supervisor, Sumpter Township 

 Supervisor Linda Combs, Van Buren Charter Township 

 Mayor James Hawley, City of Wayne 

 Mayor William Wild, City of Westland 

Nays: None 

Absent: City of Belleville 

 City of Dearborn Heights 

 City of Inkster 

 

 

Conference of Western Wayne 

39293 Plymouth Road 

Suite 101 

Livonia, Michigan 48150 

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