Delta CEO CNN Interview About ME3

[JuniorMan]

It's definitely starting to heat up. Full interview at bottom of linked page.

Delta CEO Associates Gulf Carriers With 9/11 Terrorists in Open Skies Fight ? Skift (http://skift.com/2015/02/16/delta-ceo-associates-gulf-carriers-with-911-terrorists-in-open-skies-fight/)

[Jefferson Airplane]

It would be extremely interesting to see where Mr Anderson found the “documented evidence that can’t be refuted of tens of billions of dollars in direct government subsidies.”

He is essentially calling certain EK executives liars, who have, since the launch of Emirates, maintained that the Government of Dubai granted a once-off $10 million loan to EK as start-up capital - which we know has since been repaid many times over.

And Chapter 11 is in no way government assistance?

To somehow link the Middle East carriers with the barbaric events of 9/11 is way offside. Maybe Mr Anderson needs to be reminded that it wasn't just the US carriers who suffered from those events.

[crewmeal]

Maybe Mr Anderson should realise that if the US didn't have a 'wave 'em through' policy on domestic security flights at the time 9/11 wouldn't have happened.

[Airmann]

To somehow link the Middle East carriers with the barbaric events of 9/11 is way offside. Maybe Mr Anderson needs to be reminded that it wasn't just the US carriers who suffered from those events.

Yes, but the plan of the American elite is to use buzz words like "9/11", "terrorist", "jihadi" etc. to drive the uneducated masses into a frenzy in order to get what they want.

EDIT: Having watched the video I don't think he was using 9/11 rhetoric against Emirates. But I stand by my statement, its applicable in general.

[anson harris]

Can I just apologise to the world, on behalf of my nation, for Richard Quest.

[paokara]

Make sure to stay away from his airline

Don't fill the application and don't ask for preferential interview at Delta

[OMAAbound]

Basically what Mr Anderson is saying is that he wants the rope when he is drowning, but he also wants the rope to pull him along to win the race as well! Utter madness if you ask me!

Another point he makes, which is absolute ludicrous, when he says that the consumer wants a fair competition, now excuse me if I'm wrong here, but when I fly home I don't fly with british airways because they are my country's airline, I find the cheapest fare to whom that may be with!

Basically they can't compete with airlines here on numerous things whether it be, service, aircraft quality, on demand products, catering, needless I say much about the crew on delta.

Just my two cents worth, or two dirhams worth!

OMAA

[Airmann]

Just as a side note. May not be entirely applicable to America as it is to the Europeans but was it not ultimately imperialist policies combined with corrupt locals that created these now economically disenfranchised "third world" countries which supply so much of the cheap labour which the Gulf thrives on?

Was it not England's choice to only use India for primary resource extraction at the behest of a few local mostly corrupt elite while not really advancing the economic standards of the masses and keeping most of the profit for themselves and the few corrupt landlords that led to the very situation we have today ?

And ultimately America has just taken over this policy. They now happily support a corrupt elite in the Gulf that pay peanuts to foreign labour (whose situation exists because of the above mentioned) while both they and their colonial masters are making billions. Anderson is just upset about because his industry is not that important in the bigger picture. Not nearly as important when you consider the amount the US elites are making from arms sales, aircraft sales, and ultimately partnerships in the oil sector - from which American companies also benefits from cheap labour (and they continue to do so throughout the world and in many industries). Anderson might as well go and make his case to the trees outside capitol hill and wait for an answer. The sound of the birds will be much sweeter than any answer he'll get from congress.

[Bidule]

US airlines need to stop seeking protection, reconnect with ustomers, up their game - ... (http://www.eturbonews.com/55666/us-airlines-need-stop-seeking-protection-reconnect-ustomers-thei)

[Sailvi767]

Just a small point on the Delta PBGC pensions. The PBGC received Delta stock in return for assuming the pension obligation. The PBGC is a private corporation that Delta paid premiums to for insuring those pensions. In the end the stock turned out to have more value then the assumed pension liabilities and the PBGC made a profit off Delta. The upside to this is by law the PBGC can't keep all that profit and has to return much of it to the effected pilots. Many Delta pilots will be paid substantially above the normal PBGC max limit.

[Obbie]

When asked about, claims that cabin crew need permission to get
married, and that pregnancy equals termination, during a rebuttal
interview today, AAB outright bold faced lied to Quest and said it
was "bull ****".

We all know it is not "bull ****", but in fact right on the money.

Looks like everybody is ready to lie, lie, lie in order to win this one.

[ManaAdaSistem]

Year in and year out you guys are complaing about how bad the ME airlines are, how bad they treat you, how they ignore contracts, how they fire people right, left and centre.
Then somebody from the ouside dare to criticize them ME airlines, and suddenly you work for the best airlines in the world?

[glofish]

You can debate endlessly about local subsidies, political situations and events that create imbalances, regional rights and cultures and so forth.

It’s futile.

If it’s to their advantage, everyone yells for non-interference into internal affairs, if it’s to their disadvantage, everyone cries wolf and points fingers like juveniles.

The abysmal humans rights situation, or its absence, in the ME is so blatantly obvious, that we have to assume that it’s widely accepted by the “civilised” world, or else they would not continue normal trade and political relations.

Institutions like the WTO, Fair Trade or Open Skies treaties are but fig leaves for the mighty corporations, banks and corrupt government entities. To call on the earlier for fair play, being part of the latter, exposes anyone as a bigot liar.

The only situation Anderson could criticise, and by that be taken seriously because it’s his domain, is when carriers fly into the USA with either equipment that is not airworthy to US standards, due to negligence of the carrier or its regulator, or if their personnel is underqualified or overfatigued compared with minimal US standards.

That not only represents a safety hazard over US skies, but can rightfully be called an unfair advantage for such carriers.

But, ooooops, we all know the big US bosses themselves would loooove to go that low with maintenance and training standards and dream wet dreams of being able to screw their employees equally.

[Schnowzer]

It shouldn't be ME3. They are all very different animals. The subsidy comments carry more weight the further West you go up the Gulf.

[Dropp the Pilot]

That's an exceedingly mild way of stating the situation.

Emirates is an airline.

Etihad and Qatar are publicity stunts with unlimited budgets and no intention of ever making a profit.

Emirates will be considered to be in the same group as Etihad and Qatar.

This is a major problem for Emirates.

As we see now.

[JuniorMan]

IMHO, the US3 have no chance of winning this battle. ALPA and A4A might lobby congress to alter the open skies agreement but they are going up against a formidable opponent. The lobby for ME3 would include the ruler of the UAE talking directly to the POTUS and involve billions in aircraft orders, defense contracting, and issues of national security. For all the Americans at EK that want to come back to the US3, I would stay where you are. This will have a very negative impact on your career. Especially if you are at the bottom of the list.

[furbpilot]

Any initiative, any speech, any interview, any news, any story, any sociopolitical event, any technical breakthrough in alternative energies, any war, any revolution and any blog that can help in sending back these pathetic camel fokkers slavist exploiters back to their heritage ( fishing pearls and farming camels , to be fokked indeed ) and their Britons cronies to screw them self along with the Windsors all are very very very very welcome.

[Jumeirah James]

Anyone know who 'Cutter' is? :}

[Aluminium shuffler]

Wow, furbpilot is taking this personally.

The reality is that this hypocrisy of the first degree. US majors have been given unfair advantage over anyone else that flies into the US or wherever those US airlines go for decades; deregulation, chapter 11, protectionism, unequal "security requirements" and general political bullying has given them massive advantage in the EU and they still couldn't capitalise on that. Now they throw their teddies out of the cot because others are doing a better job, albeit if one or two of the competition are being given unfair advantage too. It's pretty petulent behaviour.

[Iver]

If Delta have proof about direct subsidies I hope they will share it!!!! Time to put up or shut up! Wasn't evidence dug up that the other big airline in the UAE (unmentionable) had actually received a $4 billion subsidy? There is a lot of shell game action in the ME and everyone know it. :) If not, then QR and others need to prove otherwise to end the silly argument.

[highlight]

As much as I would like to head back home and work for one of the US's Big3, I will go to bat for Emirates and the other Gulf carriers on this one. Where is this evidence of the ME3 receiving subsidies? He's making it sound like it's some kind classified information handled by the CIA. As a previous poster mentioned earlier, it's time to put up or shut up. To associate the ME3 carriers with link to the 9/11 terrorism because of their geographical location is ridiculous. And don't get me started every time this douche mispronounces Qatar as "Cutter". Seriously, bro? :ugh:

[halas]

Documents Reveal Etihad Received Royal Funding - Australian Daily - Gulf Business (http://gulfbusiness.com/2014/05/documents-reveal-etihad-received-royal-funding-worth-3bn-media/#.VOWBVym5xLo)

halas

[donpizmeov]

Anyone remember when $3billion was considered a reasonable amount of money? These days it seems you can even forget you have it.


Bring on the Profit Cher.

[anson harris]

Highlight - he is not incorrect in pronouncing it that way.

[flyallnite]

The ME3 carriers aren't airlines, they're governments--absolute monarchies to be more precise. Richard Quest queried Richard Anderson on the critique by those rulers that US carriers were the beneficiaries of government aid after 9-11. It is well known that even today, Qatar allows money to flow to ISIS. Source: Washington Times.

For those rulers to support terrorism which pummeled our industry, then in the wake of that, try to usurp control of the global aviation market by pouring billions into state owned enterprises which then compete with full state backing on a supposedly liberalized trade landscape is reprehensible, and illegal. The word Richard used was 'ironic'. I thought he was being soft.

If the 'apology' said anything, it was this: 'Sorry if the truth hurts.' I think nothing more is owed. I applaud him for standing his ground in the face of overwhelming financial and political pressure by the rulers of the ME3.

2 years of forensic accounting and investigations in overseas financial markets have yielded irrefutable evidence of illegal state subsidies at the ME3. The number being mentioned is 40 billion. That's more than twice what all the airlines in the whole world made last year. That evidence has already been presented to the U.S. government. The U.S. International Trade Administration, which oversees trade agreements, and enforces rules on dumped and subsidized imports into our country will be getting back to Tim and Al soon.

[fliion]

Ok flyallniite,

Chill the beans there cowboy...too many holes to punch...too little time.

So, I'm not an EK cheerleader (anymore - used to be somewhat) BUT..

No 1....The Washington Times is a daily publication by the Moonies from S. Korea... The Washington Post - of Woodward & Bernstein .. Is , well, enough said.

"Irrefutable" ...suggests that PWC auditing is corrupt...not so.

I'm not defending my employer...but lay off the Fox News while you sip the bourbon...because you make us look stupid...and you have a lot of company...

f.

[JuniorMan]

Interesting video here...

http://youtu.be/g_sHiEf58Bc

[Bindair Dundat]

Flyallnight
Spot on. Tremendous post.
It completely baffles me that anyone working for any of the ME3
Can defend them....regardless of subsidies, funding etc they cannot be allowed
To expand. They operate in slave states and in the very core of their business model exploit their employees, like slaves. Why? Because they can. Do you really think that other majors which operate in countries where human rights actually exist should be forced to compete against them?

[Bidule]

Flynite

For those rulers to support terrorism which pummeled our industry

Please remind me who "created" the organiser of 9/11....

[MrMachfivepointfive]

Perhaps it is time US carriers had a look at their product as well as the customer experience at their hubs? If these were improved maybe there would be little reason to search the culprit elsewhere.

[Panther 88]

Help me here. Where were the CEOs over the last decades when many of the European carriers were wholly owned by their governments (or do I have that wrong)? Let's see, Delta has a code share agreement with Saudi, American/USAir have a code share agreement with Qatar and not sure about The other. The reek of hypocrisy permeates these CEOs and the ALPA.

[JuniorMan]

More info about the report is coming out...

Report Says Gulf Airlines Got $39B (With More to Come) in Illegal Subsidies
BY Ted Reed Follow |
02/20/15 - 08:00 AM EST |
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NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- A report compiled for the big three U.S. airlines presents a chilling picture of efforts by some Mideast governments to establish airlines funded by massive subsidies which, according to the report, have been systematically covered up in order to mask violations of Open Skies agreements that have enabled the three Gulf airlines' disproportionate growth.

The governments of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the two largest emirates, have provided about $39 billion in subsidies to the airlines -- Qatar Airways, the flag carrier of Qatar; and Etihad Airways and Emirates Airlines, flag carriers of the UAE -- according to extensively researched report, compiled over two years for American (AAL - Get Report) , Delta (DAL - Get Report) and United (UAL - Get Report) and provided to TheStreet by an airline industry source who asked not to be identified.

The Gulf governments and airlines "have created vertically-integrated, wholly state-owned aviation sectors that include monopoly service providers and complex interrelationships between their government institutions, airlines, ground handlers, airports and state-owned banks," said the report, which is titled: "Restoring Open Skies: The Need to Address Subsidized Competition From State-Owned Airlines in Qatar and the UAE."

The subsidies come in forms including cash grants, interest-free loans and favorable contracts with airports, vendors and suppliers funded and generally owned by the governments, the report said. They inevitably reflect close relationships between governments and the airlines, which are often led by the same families and the same individuals.

The $39 billion is just the start. Governments in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar all plan to build huge new airports because they believe the large airports they already have are insufficient to accommodate the growth they expect.

Dubai is spending $7.8 billion to expand capacity at Dubai International Airport to 90 million passengers annually by 2018. It plans to spend $32 billion more to build the first phase of Dubai World Central Airport, 40 miles away, which could ultimate accommodate 240 million passengers annually.

Abu Dhabi is spending $7 billion to expand capacity at its airport to an annual capacity of 50 million passengers. Qatar is spending $17 billion on Hamad International Airport, which opened in May 2014 and also will have an annual capacity of 50 million passengers.

The report represents "the first time anyone has investigated these subsidies," said an airline industry spokesperson who asked not to be named. "It took a couple of years for the report to be put together" by a team of forensic accountants and investigators.

"We've begun a discussion with the Obama administration about these subsidies and what remedies there are," the spokesperson said. "The executive branch of government has the power to take a look at this. There is a process in place under Open Skies to address subsidies."

[Oblaaspop]

Hmmm, so it took their team of forensic accountants 2 years to produce a chilling report that contains the shocking revelations that Dubai is building big airports......... What did they do, catch an episode of Ultimate Airport Dubai on Discovery Channel?

I'd want a refund!

[Aluminium shuffler]

So, should all US and EU carriers be shut down because they don't pay all the costs of developing airports they don't own? The Delta argument is hysterical and hypocritical in equal measure and reflects very badly on US attitudes towards the rest of the world - every time they don't have massive legislative advantage, they throw around all sorts of accusations until the US authorities tilt the playing field to a ridiculous degree. It doesn't matter if it's aviation, defence, food, cars or even entertainment. Thankfully, not all Americans buy into the propaganda, as displayed here.

All countries will want to support their own industries over foreign, and so they should, but there are limits to what is reasonable or even rational.

[WYOMINGPILOT]

The US Majors are starting to lose considerable market share to the Big 3 Gulf carriers due to their rapid expansion and better inflight service. This will have a big impact in their ability to compete internationally.

US Airlines Losing Market Share To Gulf Carriers (http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1423697141.html)

[Visual Procedures]

Round 3.

Interview with a riled up Tim Clark (http://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/02/18/exp-cnni-qmb-emirates-ceo-clark-intvu.cnn)

[flyallnite]

Of course the feigned indignation of the ME execs is laughable, considering they know full well what is going on. And I can't blame their employees for turning a blind eye either, after all, they are banking on taking away jobs from everyone else.

Just ask the Australians where their airline industry went. Is it because Quanta's service was terrible? No, it's because the rulers of the ME3 are pouring money in illegal subsidies into an all out effort to grab market share by dumping their product on the global market. The Aussie government didn't take action and now it's too late. I just hope we don't make the same mistake here in the USA.

Tim, Al, and others, I don't blame you in the least for defending your enterprises, that's what I'd expect. Just please, spare me the fake outrage when someone dares shine a light on your scheme.

[flyallnite]

Panther88, I'm glad you asked. Decades ago, our governments were negotiating Open Skies treaties with the nations who had wholly owned airlines. As part of those agreements, divestiture and transparency were mandated. As were limits on direct government subsidies. Which brings us to the issue with the ME3 carriers, who it is alleged have received direct aid and subsidies from their respective overlords, in eye watering amounts. You just can't do that. If it were AF or BA, you'd hear the same complaints. Why can't these companies just compete on the quality of their product if it's so great?

[furbpilot]

Tim Clark uses the geopolitical card..( UAE long time allied of the US ) he his in troubles. We are talking of a "country" where the "sheik" uncle of the "ruler" is president of an airline and at the same time president of the civil aviation authority. A country where human and workers rights are not granted .Time to stop this absurdity, time to stop exploitation, time to stop the Middle Age from conquering aviation.

[Xulu]

It's time to stop snorting coke from the urinal mate

[paokara]

Delta will have one flight to Dubai
United one flight to Dubai

AND

EK one flight ... Chose a city
ET one flight ...chose a city




THAT IS THE FAIR SOLUTION for our open skies agreement

[Aluminium shuffler]

Still the same hypocrisy from a small cadre of the US.. Do you not see that the rest of the world feels the same way about the US carriers being able to trade so long under Chapter 11, or all the other systems used to prevent fair competition with other countries' operators?

I don't want to paint all Americans with the same brush because you're a varied lot just like any other nation, but you outraged subgroup make it difficult to respect a country which continually undermines fair play and then screams like a four year old told "No" in a toy shop when someone else doesn't just bend over for you and give you all the advantages.