Senate Blocks Foreign Ownership of U.S. Airlines

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee voted three to one to prohibit the U.S. Department of Transportation from using appropriated funds to finalize or implement its proposed rulemaking on foreign control of U.S. airlines, just as the U.S. House of Representatives did earlier in the summer. One airline, at least, was happy with this vote on the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2007. Continental Airlines released a statement from Jeff Smisek, company president, saying that it welcomed the action to block what it called "flawed rulemaking on foreign control of U.S. airlines." Smisek said the message has never been clearer that Congress will stop the Department of Transportation from implementing foreign control rulemaking.