A group of CEOs from major airlines in the USA…and one outside the USA, met with President Donald Trump in the White House yesterday to discuss objections over Gulf Carriers and Air Italy. But one vocal opponent was visibly missing.
Present at the meeting were:
- Oscar Munoz – United Airlines CEO
- Doug Parker – American Airlines CEO
- Akbar Al Baker – Qatar Airways CEO
- Robin Hayes – JetBlue CEO
- Frederick Smith – FedEx CEO
- Bill Flynn – Atlas Air CEO
Yes, folks. His Excellency attended as well. But do you notice who was missing?
If you said Ed Basitan, CEO of Delta Air Lines, you are correct. I wonder if he declined attending once he found out that Al Baker was coming to town? It is rather difficult to look someone in the eye that you have lied viciously about. Initial reports suggested Bastian would attend.
But Delta claimed Bastian was unable to attend due to “international travel”. It seems to me, though, that this is the sort of the meeting you re-arrange travel plans in order to attend. If Qatar and Air Italy’s actions are as egregious as Bastian contends (see below for background), then the “I’m traveling” excuse seems rather lame, even if this was a long-planned vacation.
What Happened In White House Meeting?
We are still waiting for details about what happened behind closed doors. No transcripts of discussion, video clips, or even photos have been released by the White House or any of the attendees.
The Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, a lobbying group backed by American, Delta, and United, did say:
We had a productive meeting with President Trump today to talk about the importance of American jobs and not letting foreign governments break their agreements with the United States.
The president shares our concerns and instructed us to keep working with the U.S. Department of Transportation, which we plan to do.
Keep working in what capacity?
We do know that Hayes, Smith, and Flynn oppose blocking Air Italy, arguing it will have disastrous ramifications.
A Reminder of the Duplicity
Rather than rehash what I’ve discussed on several occasions, I’d invite you to check out two superb recent articles over at View from the Wing if you want some background on why U.S. carriers continue to fight:
- The CEOs of the 3 Biggest Airlines Wrote an Op-Ed and Every Paragraph is Misleading
- Delta Taking Part Ownership of Alitalia is “Certainty” While Italy’s Government Will Kick in More Subsidies
In a word, the charges against Gulf Carriers and Air Italy are bogus. But it makes for good political theatre and plays well to employees and other Americans too clueless to research the issue for themselves. Delta has never seen a subsidy it did not like for itself, but hypocritically opposes all subsidies it cannot place its grubby paws on. Even more importantly, Delta opposes competition, like Air Italy, that offers a compelling alternative to consumers and nonstop service from Milan Malpensa to cities that no other airline serves. Oh, and Air Italy employees unionized Italian citizens, not slaves as critics have contended…
CONCLUSION
Until we have more news about the substance of yesterday’s White House meeting, the story to me seems to be that Ed Bastian could not look Akbar Al Baker in the eye with a straight face. As the most vocal opponent of Air Italy and Qatar Airways, his absence at the meeting further undermines what little creditability he had left on the issue.
> Read More: Dense, Dimwitted Logic From A Deliberately Deceptive Delta CEO
Maybe Bastion and tRump are the same person, just with a different wig and spray-on tan.
The reason Bastion wasn’t there was because he needed to be tRump that day.
Maybe was in Italy talking terms of Alitalia investment
Amusing: Trump apparently sided with Qatar Airways.
https://www.businessinsider.sg/trump-qatar-united-american-delta-open-skies-dispute-2019-7/
Excellent.
How much are you being paid to bash US Carriers? Is that directly from Al Baker or is it set up through one of the ME3s subsidiaries? I look forward to the day you’re bitchin about paying rediculously high prices on markets only served by the ME3 because they monopolized the markets but subsidizing rediculously low (money losing) fares with the money you’re giving them for petrol.
Always nice to see the plants from Airlines for America step in. Stop deluding yourself. People see through your lies. US carriers have NEVER been more profitable. The whole controversy is based on lies, chiefly coming from mouthpiece Bastian.
You didn’t answer the question, Matthew.
@KMSP: Read my comments below and respond. Please.
Delta used to be respectable when Richard was in charge, now it’s lacking adult supervision.
KMSP – Which bridge do you call home?
You seem to be bitter about something concerning Ed Bastian.
Bitter is not the right word. I am disgusted he is a liar because he is too smart to be delusional.
So you think Al Baker is an honest fellow? You think any corporate CEO or politician is going to say anything that isn’t beneficial to their business? Maybe you live in a different world than I do. And if not, I’ll have two of whatever you’re drinking.
You sure seem to know a lot about the industry, maybe you could write an “article” about the Ex-Im bank, and who that benefits.
He’s a snake in the grass, just like Bastian. But the U.S. should respect the Open Skies Treaty, not disregard it due to jejune nativsm when airlines have never been more profitable and while Delta is courting the Italian government for subsidies for Alitalia while it condemns Air Italy for serving markets no other carrier does. It’s just insanity.
One reason Air Italy loses money is because the Italian government “chooses winners and losers” by continuing to subsidize Alitalia. But of course Delta has no problem with that support (or China’s support of China Eastern) because it stands to benefit from those subsidies.
Responding here because you asked me to do so…
These comments do not address my question to you about whether you’re accepting payment from the ME3 or anyone linked to the ME3. Seems you’re very biased toward them over the US airlines who make their profits through fares and not through billions of dollars worth of cash infusions by their oil cartel, female and sexual oppressing led governments.
I accept no payment from them and would be required by law to disclose if I did. Do you defend Delta’s hypocrisy?
I defend free market trade among companies who profit from innovation and product sales, not those who ride the tide of massive cash infusions by their woman hating, gay murdering, religiously oppressing governments.
Of course he chickened out. He just barks a lot but cannot bite. While I have to agree that Delta is by far the best Of the big 3 US airlines (not very hard to win when your competitors are AA and UA) they want to keep competition out so they can charge ridiculous prices. I am based out of MSP and I cannot believe when I see prices from more competitive airports to fly out to Asia or Europe vs what Delta charges from MSP.
I guess we now know why the chicken crossed the road.
KMSP
American, United and Deltaa make their money selling points to credit card companies, treating the vast majority of their passengers like cattle on the way to slaughter and by gouging them on bag and change fees. They are a cartel that makes the mob look benign.
Jake,
When the ME3 aren’t flooding a market with under priced (meaning money losing) seats using aircraft too large and inefficient for the market, the customers will dictate whether you are correct in your assessments or mistaken. While it may be true the US3 make money from their credit card agreements and ancillary sales, as well as maximizing efficiencies of scale by filling their aircraft with as many seats as possible, they also effectively keep the costs of fares lower in doing so. Should the ME3 start selling fares which would generate a profit and should the US3 eliminate credit card deals, ancillary sales, and cramped flights, you’ll see significant rises in the cost of flying passed on to the customer by both the US3 and the ME3. I’ll admit, if you and a few hundred thousand of your closest friends are interested in signing up for this arrangement of higher fares, I’m willing to start an airline for you to fly.
Ed and Delta are tooo liberal to attend and respect our President!!! AND who is his Excellency???? I hope not more disrespect for our President????in this Blog?????
If you click through on the link, that’s an honorific term given to Akbar Al Baker. Not directed at POTUS.
This is the Italian maffia coming in for their overdue claim on some loan asking the “president” to find a cash cow to save Alitalia. This guy wouldn’t do anything for anyone unless he was in a very tight spot to do so.