IT IS a remarkable piece of detective work. Investigators hired by three big American airlines have scoured the world for the regulatory filings of three fast-growing rivals owned by Gulf states—Emirates, Etihad and Qatar—and stitched together the most detailed picture yet of the ways in which their governments have pampered them. According to the American carriers, which released the supporting documents for their allegations this week, airlines in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar have enjoyed a host of benefits, including handouts, “loans” without interest or any schedule for repayment, free land and below-cost charges at state-owned airports. Over the past decade this was worth a total of $42 billion.
Delta, American and United Airlines, the carriers that sponsored the investigation, are shocked—shocked—to find that government aid is being provided to the aviation industry. But by pointing out the motes in the eyes of rivals, they draw attention to the planks in their own. Another American lobby, representing business travellers, has dug out a study undertaken by the Congressional Research Service in 1999. It...
from The Economist: Leaders http://ift.tt/1HwgeHa
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