There are a wide array of issues at stake in regards to Aviation Policy and what changes we can expect from a new Trump Administration starting in late January 2017. Trump has made many comments about US Protectionism, ensuring a fair playing field for America, US workers, American based job growth and “Making America Great Again.” This leaves many in the local US Based Airline community as well as Foreign Based Carriers that have flights to the United States wondering what impact his new policies will have on each side. The issues on the table which will be up for debate and potential US policy changes are as follows: The Middle East government subsidizing of the big M3 Carriers with their expansion of routes into the United States from the M3: Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar. The next issue is the Open Skies Agreement which opened the US Protectionism of aviation travel policies. Many of the big US3: Delta, American, and United have taken issues in the past with regards to this aviation policy.
There is also the long ongoing debate about Foreign Airlines using loopholes in the policy to create offshore companies to skirt US Policies and Union Labor Laws. There are airlines which have bases in the United States but utilize foreign laws with off-shore registration to govern their US-based employees such as the NAI Norwegian Group. There is the new recent opening of formerly embargoed countries such as Cuba and Venezuela that will also be looked at which Obama has been notably working with reopening Cuba aviation policies. Lastly, we have the Boeing Bank and how they do business with US aircraft sales utilizing the US Export-Import Bank known as EXIm. All these issues will be on the table in January for review by a new Trump Administration. Many of us in the airline community will be awaiting this review with great interest and baited breathe. As nobody really knows just where President Trump will be taking our Aviation Community in the new year. All we do know is that we can definitely expect major changes ahead.
“US opponents of three Gulf carriers and Norwegian are hoping to find a sympathetic audience in President-elect Donald Trump, casting uncertainty over how a new administration will treat several hot-button issues that have divided the airline industry.”
“Backed by Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines, the coalition says the alleged subsidies to the Gulf airlines place 300,000 US aviation jobs in peril. “We are optimistic that the Trump administration will stand up to the UAE and Qatar, enforce our trade agreements and fight for American jobs,” says a spokesman for the Partnership for Fair and Open Skies.”
