US Travel Association Applauds Outcome of Open Skies Discussion

U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President for Public Affairs and Policy, Tori Barnes, issued a statement today congratulating the White House on the outcomes of its sixth Economic Policy Dialogue with the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—specifically, as it pertained to the current “Open Skies” policy.

“The U.S. travel community commends and congratulates the Trump administration for the judicious and fact-driven nature of its deliberations on Open Skies policy, and we look forward to seeing our country enjoy the substantial benefits of this decision for many years to come,” stated Barnes.

In a joint statement released yesterday by United States’ and UAE’s governments following the conclusion of this year’s U.S.-UAE Economic Policy Dialogue, delegated, “underscored the shared and ongoing commitment of the United States and the United Arab Emirates to fully maintain all aspects of their Open Skies relationship established by the ATA,” referring to the United States United Arab Emirates Air Transport Agreement (ATA) of March 11, 2002—a civil air transport agreement, “designed to eliminate government involvement in airline decision-making about routes, capacity, and pricing in international markets,” as defined by the U.S. Department of State.

The two sides also reaffirmed their ongoing overall commitment to further deepening ties and acknowledged the importance of the U.S.-UAE economic relationship. They cited the benefits of continuing the established Economic Policy Dialogue as a platform to further enhance bilateral ties, overcome trade barriers, improve regional cooperation, and enhance investment interaction.

It was also emphasized that the UAE is one of the U.S.’ most important economic partners and has been its largest Middle Eastern and North African trading partner for over a decade. Likewise, the United States is one of the UAEs most important global economic partners, with U.S. exports to the UAE constituting almost 75 percent of the nearly $25 billion in bilateral trade occurring during 2018.

Barnes further affirmed, “Keeping the existing Open Skies agreement fully intact is a decision that supports greater consumer choice, vital international air service, and continued job growth in America’s travel, aviation and manufacturing industries.”