Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr President, I rise to introduce bipartisan legislation with my colleague from Maine, Senator King, to permit foreign air carriers traveling to or from Cuba to make non-traffic, transit stops in the United States. Enactment of this legislation will create new opportunities for U.S. workers and airports.

For decades U.S. airports, including Bangor International Airport in Maine, have lost out on additional revenue because the current travel ban on Cuba prevents them from providing transit stop services to flights departing from or en route to Cuba.

During these transit stops, passengers do not disembark the plane and no new passengers board the aircraft. Yet, these stops are valuable for airports and their employees who can offer fuel, de-icing, catering, and crew services. Under the current travel ban, however, foreign air carriers are forced to make transit stops in Canada rather than the United States, and any potential profit for U.S. airports flies right across the border along with the planes.

The current disparity means that airports like Bangor not only lose revenue related to flights to or from Cuba, but also from transit stops for European flights to and from many other destinations in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. That is because if foreign airlines cannot use Bangor for all of their flights, it is simply easier and more efficient for them to refuel at one airport that can meet all of their needs.

The purpose of economic sanctions was to limit hard currency to Cuba--not to harm American workers and cities. Allowing U.S. airports to provide these services could support additional jobs for families in Maine and other areas throughout the country.

Allowing such transit stops would also be consistent with existing international air transportation agreements. For example, in 2007 the U.S. and the EU signed an Air Transport Agreement that granted airlines of one party the right to make stops in the territory of the other party for non-traffic, transit purposes.

Likewise, the Chicago Convention, to which there are 191 parties, recognizes the right to refuel or carry out maintenance in a foreign country, including the United States. The United States should fulfill its obligations and permit such transit stops at U.S. airports, no matter the destination.

Our bill would provide American airports and workers the opportunity to compete with Canadian airports and would bring the United States into compliance with international air travel agreements.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan bill.

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