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Tell DOT Secretary Mary Peters: No Way VA!
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is currently reviewing a revised application by Virgin America, a foreign controlled airline, to operate domestic routes in the United States.
 If the DOT gives flight to Virgin America (VA), that airline will use foreign investments to subsidize low-cost flights that will be in direct competition with your airline and threaten the job security of thousands of AFA-CWA members from coast to coast.
Mary Peters, the Secretary of the DOT may soon issue a ruling on the VA application. Tell Me More>>
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: RE: Virgin America
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I'm a flight attendant and proud member of the Association of Flight Attendants - CWA and I'm writing you about an urgent matter that is before the Department of Transportation.
Your department correctly denied an application by Virgin America, Inc. in December, 2006 for that airline to operate domestic flights in the United States. The Department's ruling then that Virgin America was not owned and operated by U.S. citizen's upheld long-standing U.S. aviation law and protected U.S. aviation workers.
As you know, Virgin America, Inc. has submitted a modified or amended application to the DOT in an attempt to reverse your earlier ruling. I believe that despite their efforts to amend their application, Virgin America will always fall under the control of foreign owners and investments and U.S. aviation laws will be eroded and America jobs will be at risk.
Virgin America claims to be a new generation airline but is nothing more than a direct extension of the Virgin Group, which is owned and operated by foreign interests. Virgin's business plan simply duplicates U.S. domestic routes between large cites that are currently served by a healthy mix of U.S. domestic low-fare airlines and large network carriers that offer point-to-point service and extensive international connections.
Should the DOT approve their application, Virgin America could displace thousands of good paying U.S. jobs and offer no real new service to U.S. consumers.
I believe that the Virgin Group is trying to circumvent U.S. aviation law with its application. The debate on changing aviation law appropriately belongs in the U.S. House and Senate and not through a DOT application. Foreign interests could not convince congress earlier to change ownership and investment laws and now are employing a different strategy.
I urge you to uphold U.S. aviation laws, protect American jobs and deny Virgin America's application.
Sincerely,
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