United workers rally to protest Emirates expansion

Scores of United employees gathered at Newark International Airport Sunday to protest what they insist is the unfair competitive advantage Middle East-based carriers have over US-based airlines such as United, American Airlines and Delta. The rally was strategically timed to coincide with the launch Sunday of Emirates' daily non-stop service between New York and Athens, Greece, with onward service to Dubai, Emirates' home base. United workers point to this new Emirates route as an example of how Middle East carriers are determined to expand their reach with more direct service between the United States and Europe and possibly other parts of the world. Emirates' new New York-to-Athens service is launching just in time for the peak summer travel season. United, not coincidentally, also offers seasonal summer service between New York and Athens. But United said that the route does not have the traffic to support year-round service, implying that Emirates could operate the route year-round because of the subsidies.<br/>