In light of ongoing heated debate pitting three U.S. airlines against three Middle Eastern carriers, the U.S. government has opened a public forum seeking comment on claims by executives at Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines that government subsidies afforded to Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways amount to unfair competition in international skies.

The forum, a joint effort by the U.S. Commerce, State and Transportation departments, is open to all interested parties who wish to express their opinions. A joint statement by the three departments references claims in a publicly available report, stating: “The U.S. government takes seriously the concerns raised in the report and is interested in receiving insights and feedback from stakeholders before any decisions are made regarding what action, if any, should be taken.”

Any interested person or group may submit information for consideration; submissions will undergo a joint review by the interagency team beginning in late May.