Today the Senate Committee on Banking Housing and Urban Affairs will hold a hearing regarding the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Bank). ALPA representatives continue to meet with members of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee to ensure that they provide the oversight Congress demanded per the present authorization.
The Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 (PL-112-122) directed the Department of Treasury to “initiate and pursue negotiations … with all countries that finance air carrier aircraft with funds from a state-sponsored entity, to substantially reduce, with the ultimate goal of eliminating, aircraft export credit financing for all aircraft covered by the 2007 Sector Understanding on Export Credits for Civil Aircraft.” ALPA has requested that members of the Committee ask the Bank for a status report of the negotiations and provide the committee with any and all documents pertaining to the negotiations. Read ALPA’s letter to the Senate Committee here.
Per the 2012 Reauthorization Act, Congress required the Bank to take into account any serious adverse effect of loans and/or guarantee on the competitive position of United States industry and employment in the United States. Unfortunately, the Bank has not followed Congressional intent and .continues to ignore the very real economic impact of its actions upon airline jobs and our industry. For example, the U.S. District Court for Washington D.C. found that the Bank’s financing of a large number of wide-body aircraft for Air India would “almost surely” cause U.S. airlines “to lose business or to cut prices to preserve business.” Already, pilots at Delta Air Lines have experienced job loss as the Bank’s loan to Air India caused Delta Air Lines to cut their service from New York (JFK) to Mumbai (BOM).
ALPA is actively engaged in the fight to ensure a level playing field for U.S. air carriers and their employees. Stayed tuned for more updates on Pilot Partisan and the ALPA.org website for updates on the reauthorization and how you can help stop the offshoring of our jobs.
