WASHINGTON - U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement after Monday's announcement on the founding of the U.S. Airlines for Open Skies Coalition:

“We welcome the U.S. Airlines for Open Skies Coalition to the fight to preserve an institution that has enormously benefited U.S. consumers, job creation, and the economy. It sends a potent message that not only does the business community overwhelmingly oppose what the Big Three and their unions are trying to do to Open Skies—but even major elements of their own industry disagree with them as well.

"Atlas Holdings, FedEx, Hawaiian Airlines and JetBlue have been valuable partners from close to the beginning of the Open Skies debate, all signing an industry letter circulated by U.S. Travel last month. But this new coalition represents a stepped-up commitment against the war on competition inherent in the Big Three's agenda.”