New York - After exposing Saudi Arabian Airlines’
discriminatory ban of Israeli nationals earlier this month, Public Advocate
Bill de Blasio is urging both the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and
the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to bar the airline from operating
flights out of JFK and Dulles airports.
In a letter to the airport authorities, de Blasio cited the
United States-Saudi Arabia Air Transport agreement signed earlier this year,
which can be severed if an airline fails to comply with the law.
Discrimination
based on national origin is a violation of both federal and New York State
laws.
“We are not going to allow discrimination on our doorstep.
Saudi Arabian Airlines has a choice. It can respect the law and end its ban on
Israeli citizens, or it can lose access to our airports. It’s that simple,”
said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.
After an investigation that exposed the discriminatory
practice of barring Israeli nationals from purchasing tickets online, by phone
or in person, de Blasio wrote to the airline’s Director General last week
demanding an immediate end to the policy. In response, Saudi Arabian Airlines
defended its ban on Israelis, arguing the lack of political relations between
Saudi Arabia and Israel as a pretext.
But de Blasio cited provisions in the United States-Saudi
Arabia Air Transport agreement that provide Saudi Airlines access to American
airspace and airports contingent on its compliance with U.S. laws, including
anti-discrimination statutes.
As a member of the Sky Team alliance, Saudi Airlines
passengers have access to more than 1,000 destinations around the world and
code-share agreements with Air France, Alitalia and others.
There is no reason
why Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy should impede any passengers from traveling
to these international destinations.
Read de Blasio’s letter to the airport authorities:
July 24, 2013
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Patrick J. Foye, Executive Director
225 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10003
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
John E. Potter, President and Chief Executive Officer
1 Aviation Circle
Washington, DC 20001
Re: Saudi Arabian Airlines Passenger Discrimination.
Dear Mr. Foye and Mr. Potter:
I write to urge the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey (“Port Authority”) and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
(“MWAA”) to take necessary steps to bar Saudi Arabian Airlines (“SAA”) from
operating at John F. Kennedy International Airport (“JFK”) and Washington
Dulles International Airport (“Dulles”), respectively, if the airline does not
immediately end its discrimination against Israeli passengers on the basis of
national origin.
As of the writing of this letter, SAA’s website requires all
potential passengers to select their nationality from a drop-down menu in order
to purchase tickets for flights to and from JFK and Dulles. The drop-down menu
features all nationalities with the exception of “Israeli,” and therefore
prevents Israeli nationals from purchasing tickets online.
Staff members on SAA’s telephone reservation hotline
confirmed that Israeli nationals are also prohibited from purchasing tickets on
the phone and in person for SAA flights. According to the company’s reservation
agents, this restriction applies to all SAA flights, including transit flights
where visas are not required. Representatives from SAA have repeatedly defended
this discriminatory policy in the media over the past several days.
SAA’s failure to allow Israeli passengers to purchase
tickets is a clear violation of several federal laws prohibiting discrimination
on the basis of national origin—including 49 U.S.C. 40127(a), 42 U.S.C.
2000(a)—as well as various state and local provisions.
Because Saudi Arabian Airlines flies in and out of JFK and
Dulles and conducts business at both of those locations, it is subject to all
relevant local, state and federal laws. Moreover, according to Article 4 of the
United States-Saudi Arabia Air Transport agreement signed May 28, 2013, airline
permissions may be revoked, suspended or limited if the airline has “failed to
comply with the laws” of the United States.
Accordingly, as the principal holders of the leases that
authorize SAA to operate out of JFK’s Terminal 1 and Dulles’ Main Terminal, I
ask that the Port Authority and MWAA take immediate steps to ensure that all
nationalities are able to purchase tickets for flights on Saudi Arabian
Airlines and take necessary steps to revoke SAA’s permission to operate at JFK
and Dulles if corrective action is not taken by the airline. If you have any
questions, you may contact my General Counsel, Steven Newmark, at 212-669-7200.
Thank you very much for your time and attention in this
matter.
Sincerely,
Bill de Blasio
Public Advocate for the City of New York
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