April 17, 2015 

Houston 

Northvvest 

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 

The Honorable Anthony R. Foxx 

Secretary of Transportation 

US Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Secretaries Foxx and Kerry: 

3920 Cypress Creek Pkwy (FM 1960 W) Suite 12C 

Houston, Texas 7706E 

281 -440-4160 ofc 

281-440-5302 fa> 

Chomberlnfo@HoustonNWChomber.org emal 

The Honorable John F. Kerry 

Secretary of State 

US Department of State 

2201 C Street NW 

Washington, DC 20520 

The Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce is committed to the economic health of our community, which 

encompasses Houston Intercontinental Airport and is home to many airport and airline employees. On behalf of the 

Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce, we are writing to urge you and the Administration to open up discussions with 

Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates Airlines to address issues related to subsidies and the Open Skies 

agreements. 

The Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce members are in and around Houston Intercontinental Airport and will be 

negatively impacted if these issues are not addressed. A strong airport is important to our members, our area small 

business owners and our community as a whole. 

These airlines are receiving subsidies and other unfair benefits worth billions of dollars. This in turn creates an unfair 

playing field which is counter to the structure of the agreement that the international community and airlines work with as a 

part of the Open Skies Agreement. It is estimated that over the last ten years the three airlines combined have received a 

minimum of $42 billion in subsidies and other benefits. The Open Skies Agreements are a sensible and positive 

framework with which the airlines can operate and compete while providing customers with competitive international travel 

options. Houston has benefited from this and we believe this issue must be addressed. 

If these subsidies go unaddressed, the negative impact on areas like Houston would be devastating to our region's 

economy. We could face job losses at U.S. based airlines and at the numerous small businesses in the area that benefit 

from the economic driver that air transportation represents. We respectfully request that you open consultations to 

address this very serious and important economic issue. 

cc: 

Senator John Cornyn 

Senator Ted Cruz 

Representative Brian Babin 

Representative Kevin Brady 

Representative John Culberson 

Representative Blake Farenthold 

Representative Michael McCaul 

Representative Pete Olson 

Representative Randy Weber 

Shah Ardalan, Lone Star College- University Pork. Chairman • Nancy Blackwell, AEI Engineering. Choir-Elect 

Juan Fresquez, Houston Northwest Medical Center. Chairman Ex-Officio • Adrian Cadena, Frost Bonk. Treasurer 

Ross Radcliffe. Radcliffe Bobbit Adams Polley PLLC, Secretory • Barbara Thomason. President 

Platinum Member: Houston Northwest Medical Center 

Gold Members: Cypress Creek Mirror • GLF Magazine • Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital • Kindred Spring Hospital • Lone Star College 

Noble Entergy LLC • Prairie View A & M University • Tomball Regional Medical Center • Uniquely Focused Productionz. LLC • Wolmort 

mbers: AAA Plumbers • Apps 4 Profit • CHI St. Luke's Hospital - The Vintage • Citation Oil & Gas 510-150424-tHO . 

• ct Newspaper - Spring Klein • En telergy • Host a La Posta • Hewlett-Packard Co. • Kelsey-Seybold Clinics 

Reviewit & Vida social Magazine • Roo!Tec • Spring Medical Associates • TOPS Surgical Specialty Hospital • United Airlines