US and Argentinian governments sign controversial aviation agreement

Following secret negotiations, the United States and Argentinian governments have signed an Open Skies agreement. Veiled as a ‘modernising’ of the 1985 transport agreement, the deal is detrimental to workers and comes as a complete surprise to Argentinian and US unions. Joseph Tiberi, chair of the civil aviation section of the ITF and chief of […]


June 27, 2019

Setting the record straight on Norwegian Air and the US-EU Open Skies Agreement (huffingtonpost.com)

By John D. Porcari Former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, 2009-2013 Expanding global connectivity through aviation only succeeds when the playing field is level and the rules are both universally understood and scrupulously enforced. That was the core principle behind our government’s negotiation of an amended air services agreement with the European […]


June 28, 2016

Deregulation has hurt workers the most (nytimes.com)

By Sara Nelson Jobs lost, pay stagnant, slashed pensions and eroded work rules — these are the problems airline workers have shouldered in bearing the brunt of deregulation. Passengers have suffered loss of flight options and a deteriorating travel experience. While deregulation was promoted as a way to increase competition, the opposite has proven true. […]


May 26, 2016

Aviation unions discuss industry liberalisation threat in Latin America

Argentinean cabin crew union the Asociación Argentina de Aeronavegantes (AAA) and the ITF held a regional seminar on 22 March to discuss union responses to the threats posed to aviation workers and their industry in Latin America by increasing liberalisation and deregulation. The main focuses of discussion were Europe’s ‘open skies’ policy and the growth […]


March 30, 2016

Why Emirates Is Not a Real Airline (huffingtonpost.com)

By Rob Britton Adjunct professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University On September 1, Emirates Airline opened yet another new route, from Dubai to Orlando, their 10th U.S. gateway. Behind all the cheerleading in central Florida, though, is a stark reality: Emirates cannot simultaneously operate as a for-profit company and meet the […]


September 14, 2015

DOT should reject Norwegian Air’s foreign air carrier application (thehill.com)

By John A. Logan The Department of Transportation (DOT) will soon decide whether or not to grant controversial low-cost airline Norwegian Air International (NAI) a foreign air carrier permit to fly to the U.S. NAI is seeking to establish a “flag of convenience” model in transatlantic aviation, just as has been done in merchant shipping […]


January 28, 2015

IAM, AFA, TWU call on DOT to deny Norwegian Air scheme (www.iamdelta.net)

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) called on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to reject an application for a foreign air carrier permit submitted by Norwegian Air International (NAI). In comments filed yesterday the unions, representing over 80,000 Flight Attendants, […]


August 20, 2014