Talks held by the US authorities with Arabian Gulf carriers over the Open Skies policy have ended without any formal action, it has emerged.

Over the past week, the US State Department held talks with Qatar government officials and with the UAE over allegations made by the three largest US airlines that Gulf carriers were competing unfairly, said a report in The National.

The talks had been arranged for some time as part of the ongoing debate since the three biggest US carriers - American, United and Delta Air Lines - raised the charges in spring last year.

The Big 3 had made claims that the Gulf airlines were heavily subsidised by their host governments, charges that were robustly countered over the past year, the report said.

Commenting on the issue, senior State Department spokeswoman Nicole Thompson said that while "the US government takes seriously the concerns raised by our airlines, we also remain committed to our US Open Skies policy, which has greatly benefitted the travelling public, the US aviation industry, American cities and the broader US economy through increased travel and trade and job growth".

Ms Thompson added that "the two sides intend to remain in contact on the topics covered in these discussions."