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Gulf carriers delight as Congress rakes US airlines over the coals

Lawmakers fault lack of competition for plummeting US customer service; could this affect US airlines' campaign for fairer competition with Gulf carriers?
A Delta jetliner (foreground) is de-iced while an American Airlines plane (rear) takes off at Reagan National Airport in Washington January 3, 2014. A heavy snowstorm and dangerously cold conditions gripped the northeastern United States on Friday, delaying flights, paralyzing road travel and closing schools and government offices across the region.   REUTERS/Gary Cameron    (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT TRANSPORT TRAVEL) - RTX1711Z

Three Gulf airlines discreetly rejoiced May 2 as Congress lambasted their US rivals at a hearing.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee called the hearing on declining customer service at domestic airlines following a series of well-publicized incidents. These include the violent removal of a paying customer from an overbooked United Airlines flight last month.

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