Debate continues as to whether the US should restrict Qatar Airways or Air Italy from flying to the United States.
US-based airlines are pleading with federal officials to not restrict Qatar Airways from flying into the US for fear of retaliation from other countries on their own services.
The conflict revolves around state-owned Qatar Airways’ acquisition of Italian carrier Air Italy, which has been flying to US destinations since June.
Critics say Air Italy is a Trojan horse for Qatar Airways to expand in the US.
However, some airlines are attempting to downplay the move.
In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, JetBlue Airways Corp and cargo carriers FedEx Corp and Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc said banning Qatar Airways or Air Italy could lead to retaliation against US carriers.
Last week, JetBlue announced they will begin flying from New York and Boston to London daily from 2021.
The letter says restrictions “would also have a crippling impact on US passenger carriers seeking new service to the EU.”
Qatar Airways has said its stake in Air Italy was “fully compliant” with the 2018 US-Qatar Understandings, an additional pact that accompanied the U.S-Qatar Open Skies agreement.
Qatar Airways has had a long-running feud with American Airlines, which joined with United and Delta to argue that the Doha-based carrier is benefiting from state aid.
Delta Air Lines is accused of hypocrisy as it owns a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic.
Many argue that Virgin Atlantic’s London-Dubai flight is similarly a proxy for Delta to serve Dubai from Europe.
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