Two groups of U.S. airlines are in a dogfight over whether the Trump administration should crack down on two Middle Eastern countries that are offering low fares to their customers and increasingly expanding their operations into the U.S. due to their governments' help.
At issue are Open Skies agreements in which Qatar and the United Arab Emirates agreed with the U.S. that they won't allow their governments to artificially lower fares as a result of government subsidies.
Delta, United, and American Airlines, along with some members of Congress, are petitioning the Trump administration to address the billions of dollars they claim Abu Dhabi and Doha are funneling toward their own airlines, and as a result, undermining the U.S. carriers' ability to compete internationally.