Shortwave Pbs Newshour

Qatar Airways is among the Persian Gulf carriers that three major U.S. airlines allege has received unfair subsidies from its government. Photo by Eric Cabanis/AFP/Getty Images) Bart Jansen, who covers aviation for USA Today calls it “the single biggest trade dispute in history.” The three biggest U.S. airlines – American, United and Delta – have lodged a complaint with the U.S. government, alleging that three major carriers in the Persian Gulf are receiving unfair subsidies from their governments — $42 billion over the last decade. The Gulf carriers deny the allegation. For the American airlines, some of their most lucrative routes, plus thousands of U.S. jobs, are on the line. At stake for the Gulf states is access to the wealthiest travel market, along with the future of their rapidly growing airlines. And this is all happening as flying in this country has become more crowded, expensive and inconvenient. We take a look at the battle for this week’s Shortwave. The