AFA-CWA Opposes Virgin America's Bid to Enter U.S. Market

Seeking to protect the nation's still recovering airline industry, AFA-CWA has asked the Department of Transportation to once again deny the foreign carrier Virgin America permission to fly U.S. domestic routes.

In December, the DOT rejected Virgin America's earlier bid to enter the U.S. market, ruling that the carrier is not owned and operated by U.S. citizens. Airlines with foreign-ownership exceeding 25 percent cannot operate in the United States as a domestic carrier.

The airline said that it has retooled its application to meet DOT approval but AFA-CWA rejected the airline's claimed changes as "cosmetic."

"We are hopeful that the DOT will see through this cosmetic attempt to cover the fact that the airline is still controlled by foreign interests, and once again reject the Virgin America application," said AFA-CWA President Patricia Friend. "If the airline is allowed to take flight, corporations will not stop until they successfully weaken our long-standing foreign investor laws." Friend warned that a weakening of the laws would place the safety and security of U.S. airlines in "severe jeopardy."

AFA-CWA members are conducting a letter-writing campaign to both local and federal officials, asking them to reject Virgin America's bid to compete in the domestic airline market against U.S.-owned carriers. Join in our campaign! Go to www.unionvoice.org/campaign/NoWayVA and tell the DOT to reject Virgin America's application.