US airlines renew campaign to rein in Gulf carriers

Leaders of the three biggest U.S. airlines are seeking to meet with new Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to revive their stalled complaint that rivals from the Middle East are getting unfair government subsidies.

The issue took on new urgency last month when one of the fast-growing Middle Eastern carriers, Emirates, announced plans to begin a new route between Athens, Greece, and Newark, New Jersey, just outside New York City. Such flights would entirely bypass Emirates' home nation, the United Arab Emirates.

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said Thursday that Emirates' announcement — coming as the Obama administration was leaving and before the Trump administration was at full speed — "certainly looks like a shot across the bow."