Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would change the law that governs foreign ownership and control of U.S. airlines, and the proposal has caused an uproar. Continental Airlines called the proposal “a blatant attempt to circumvent the law that DOT has been unable to convince Congress to change.” The DOT proposal is intended “to satisfy the European Union that its citizens will be allowed to control U.S. airlines,” Continental said in a news release. ALPA’s president, Capt. Duane Woerth, agreed, and added that members of Congress are “very unhappy with the administration’s jurisdictional grab.” Woerth also said that “U.S. airlines themselves are all over the map on whether they support this — or oppose this — or even understand it.”
…As Globalization Hits Home
Key Takeaways:
- The Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to relax laws governing foreign ownership and control of U.S. airlines.
- This proposal has caused an uproar, with critics like Continental Airlines and ALPA stating it's an attempt to circumvent Congress and appease the European Union.
- Congressional members are reportedly "very unhappy" with the administration's move, and U.S. airlines themselves are divided or unclear about the proposed changes.
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