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The Honorable Anthony R. Foxx 

Secretary of Transportation 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

The Honorable John F. Kerry 

Secretary of State 

US Department of State 

2201 C Street NW 

Washington, DC 20520 

The Honorable Penny Pritzker 

Secretary of Commerce 

US Department of Commerce 

1401 Constitution Avenue NW 

Washington, DC 20230 

May II, 2015 

Dear Secretary Foxx, Secretary Kerry and Secretary Pritzker: 

I am writing to bring your attention to the actions of the governn1ents of Qatar and the 

United Arab Emirates (UAE) which threaten the environment of healthy and fair competition 

between airlines established by Open Skies policy. In direct violation of the bilateral Open Skies 

agreements signed between the U.S. and the two Gulf States, Qatar and the UAE provided tens 

of billions of dollars in unfair financial support to three government-owned airlines, severely 

distorting the international market and giving them a tremendous advantage over their U.S. 

competitors. 

As Mayor of Charleston, home to a major U.S. airport that supports thousands of jobs in 

my city and the surrounding area, I am deeply concerned about the deterioration of Open Skies 

policy which has brought innumerable benefits to air travel and the American economy. Without 

action by the U.S. governn1ent, Qatar and the UAE will continue to funnel billions of dollars' 

worth of subsidies and other unfair forms of financial support into three state-owned carriers, 

Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline . 

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Secretary Foxx, Secretary Kerry and Secretary Pritzker 

May 11. 2015: Page Two 

Over the past ten years, the three Gulf carriers have collectively received at least $42 

billion from their host governments. This has allowed them to dramatically expand their fleets 

and lower their fares below what their competitors can match, forcing U.S. carriers like 

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines to shut down previously profitable 

international routes. If allowed to continue, this will lead to the disappearance of a substantial 

number of high quality U.S. jobs. In fact, airline experts estimate that every international 

roundtrip flight lost by a U.S. airline results in a net loss of 821 U.S. jobs. These are losses we 

cannot afford. 

Please support Open Skies policy by opening consultations with the governments of 

Qatar and the UAE, as provided in the Open Skies agreements themselves, to discuss these 

troubling developments. Additionally, the U.S. government should request a freeze on new 

capacity from the Gulf carriers to the U.S. while the negotiati ns go forward. 

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COLUMBIA SC 

The Honorable Anthony R. Foxx 

Secretary of Transportation 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

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Hasler 

05/11 12015 

US POSTAGE 

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$00.462 

ZIP 29401 

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