Greater Atlanta Malaya lee Association 

Mar 26, 2015. 

The Honorable John F. Kerry 

P.O. BOX 490332, Lawrenceville, GA 30043 

www.gamaonline.org 

US Department of State 2201 C Street, NW 

Washington, DC 20520 

The Honorable Penny S. Pritzker 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

1401 Constitution Avenue, 

NW Washington, DC 20239 

The Honorable Anthony R. Foxx 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, 

SE Washington, DC 20590 

Subject: Community Organization supports U.S. Open Skies Agreements 

Dear Secretaries Kerry, Pritzker, and Foxx, 

On behalf of the Greater Atlanta Malaya lee Association (GAMA) along with other south Indian 

communities in and around Georgia, I am writing to express our strong support to the current 

U.S. international aviation policy, which focuses on Open Skies agreements. From recent 

deliberations exposed by the media, it came to our attention that the widely beneficial Open 

Skies policy is under attack and as a community organization we want to express our strong 

support to this policy. 

Open Skies policy provides flexibility for the airlines to design their routes and service based 

on traveler needs which provides convenient routes and schedules all across the globe. It also 

provides better aircrafts, better fares and better service to passengers. 

A vast majority of Indian-Americans living in and around Georgia have business relations with 

India and they also have extended family-ties back in India. Due to these unique reasons we 

frequently travel internationally. At this time when US carriers are merging each other reducing 

competition and offering poor service to the customers, the Open Skies policy bring forth 

competition which provides convenient international flight schedules and better service to 

passengers across US. 

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(~1, Greater Atlanta Malaya lee Association 

P.O. BOX 490332, Lawrenceville, GA 30043 

www. gamaonline.org 

We, the people in Georgia are further more affected by lack of competition due to the monopoly 

of one of the 3 mainline carriers, based of Atlanta, who are lobbying against the 3 gulf airlines. 

To fly across Atlantic, most often, the only option for us is to fly domestic to other international 

airports in cities like Dallas, Houston, Miami, Washington DC, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston or 

New York, costing us the additional expense and time due to the long lay-over in those 

connecting cities in USA 

As the Open Skies policy is the only hope for the betterment of our traveling needs by bringing 

competition and better aircrafts to Atlanta, we the community in and around Georgia strongly 

supports Open Skies and hopes that US will continue to support it. Limiting the Open Skies 

policy will significantly decrease and or cease to exist certain benefits that we all enjoy while 

travelling overseas. It will also be a significant impact to numerous airports and other 

businesses that not only related to travel but also other arenas. 

Sincerely, 

~~j! Jerish Augustine 

President, Greater Atlanta Malayalee Association (GAMA), 

404-425-997 4 

president@gamaonline.org 

Copies to U.S. Department of State: 

Thomas Engle, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs, 

Stephen Cristina, Director, Office of Aviation Negotiations 

Matthew Finston, Deputy Director, Office of Aviation Negotiations 

Copies to U.S. Department Commerce: 

Ted Dean, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Services 

Eugene Alford, Air Transport Specialist 

Copies to U.S. Department of Transportation 

Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

Brandon Belford, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

Susan McDermott, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs 

Paul Gretch, Director, Office of International Aviation 

Brian Hedberg, Assistant Director for Negotiations, Office of International Aviation 

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