Emirates airline has added $21.3 billion to the U.S. economy and has created over 100,000 jobs, according to a new report.
While U.S. carriers – American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines – have frequently attacked Emirates and other Gulf carriers as harmful to the economy, the report suggests otherwise.
In 2015, Emirates contributed $10.5 billion to the country’s gross domestic product and $6.4 billion of labor income, Emirates said Monday, citing the study by Campbell-Hill Aviation Group, a U.S. consulting firm.
Tim Clark, President of Emirates, said the data demonstrates the "stimulative effect" the airline has on the U.S. economy.
"It shows we’ve brought hundreds of thousands of new travelers to the United States, helped increase competitive air transport options for over a million American and international travelers who flew with us, and contributed to increased demand for U.S. exports," he said in a statement.
Clark continued by calling out Delta, United and American Airlines for lobbying against Emirates and making "unfounded accusations." He pointed out that the three American competitors have never filed a formal U.S. Department of Transportation complaint against Emirates, even though that would be the proper measure to take if the claims were valid.
"That itself is telling," he said.
U.S. carriers have gone after Gulf competitors, accusing them of unfairly benefitting from government subsidies. In 2015, Abu Dhabi's flagship airline Etihad Airways shot back by releasing a report showing that U.S. carriers had received some $71.4 billion worth of benefits from their government.
Despite the ongoing spat, Emirates and other Gulf carriers have continued to expand into the U.S. market; last February, it was revealed that Middle Eastern airlines were experiencing the fastest in the world. Regional airlines controlled a 14.2 percent share of the total international market in 2015, surpassing their North American rivals who came in at just 13.4 percent.
With the recent move by American President Donald Trump to ban immigrants from several regional countries and temporarily banning electronics on flights from several Middle East and North African carriers to the U.S., many have speculated the decisions were made partially to target Gulf airlines.