Senate committee to review 'global competitiveness' of US airlines

A key Senate committee will hold a hearing next week about the competitiveness of U.S. airlines in the international aviation industry.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation's Aviation Operations, Safety and Security subcommittee will meet July 18 to address "competition issues to maintain U.S. leadership in the aerospace market," officials with the panel said Wednesday.

The hearing comes amid a fight between the European Union and the U.S. aviation industry over a proposal to require airlines operating in EU countries to trade emissions.

Under the proposal, which is similar to cap-and-trade proposals environmentalists once proposed in the United States, airlines from any country would have to trade credits for pollution emitted by flights to European destinations.

The plan applies the requirement to the entire length of the flight, not just the time an airplane spends over European countries, which the U.S. aviation industry has said is unfair. The EU's goal is for airlines to reduce their emissions from 2006 levels by 3 percent by 2013 and 5 percent by 2020.

The aviation subcommittee will hear next week from representatives of Boeing, Airlines for America, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Aerospace Industries and the Society for Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace.

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