Trump pledges help to airlines
DALLAS — President Donald Trump told US airlines he would help them compete with foreign carriers a crucial signal of White House support for an industry campaign that began in 2015.
Trump said at a White House meeting Thursday with the nation’s largest airlines, air freight companies and airports: “I’ve heard that complaint from different people in this room. Probably about one hour after I got elected, I was inundated with calls from your industry and many other industries.”
While Trump didn’t name individual foreign companies, the US airlines last week asked to meet with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to discuss their allegations against Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.
Delta chief executive officer Ed Bastian suggested a connection between opposition to alleged subsidies and Trump’s focus on job creation in the US.
“At Delta, we plan to hire 25,000 people over the next five years with the support of a level playing field globally,” Bastian said in a statement about the White House meeting.
Etihad declined to comment. Representatives for Emirates and Qatar Air didn’t respond to requests for comment. The airlines have disputed the claims of their US rivals. A Bloomberg US airlines index rose 2.2 per cent at 1:15pm. in New York after earlier advancing as much as 2.7 per cent for the biggest intraday gain in two weeks. Trump made his comments as part of a wide-ranging discussion in which he also called for improvements to airports, roads and rails. He didn’t say what steps he might consider in regard to alleged aid.