Gulf-based Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates need to open their books since they say they have nothing to hide, said Jill Zuckman, the newly appointed chief spokesman of the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies.

The coalition, a partnership of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and four labour unions, has asked the Obama Administration to open consultations under the Open Skies agreements with Qatar and the UAE.

The Partnership called on the administration to "address the flow of subsidised capacity to the US, with a freeze on new passenger service during the consultations", said a statement.

“The governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are subsidising their state-owned airlines by a staggering amount of money,” said Zuckman. “As the CEOs of Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline arrive in Washington this week, they have a lot of explaining to do. They need to explain how it is they have received more than $42 billion in subsidies and other unfair benefits from their governments over the past 10 years. Open Skies is based on fair, market-based competition – not a rigged game,” she said in the statement.

Zuckman is a former assistant to the secretary and director of public affairs for the US Department of Transportation. Before her tenure as a senior advisor to Secretary Ray LaHood, Zuckman was an award-winning political correspondent for The Chicago Tribune and The Boston Globe. She is currently managing director at SKDKnickerbocker, a public affairs firm.  - TradeArabia News Service