Global airline growth requires state backing, says Qatar Airways CEO
The group chief executive of Qatar Airways has again defended the airline against accusations from US airlines that it received millions of dollars of government subsidies.
However, Akbar Al Baker told the Wall Street Journal that he believes it is impossible for an airline to expand globally without backing from government.
At a press conference in Washington on on May 20, Al Baker called for continued open skies policies in the US and described the allegations by American, Delta and United airlines as “baseless” and a “transparent attempt to block new competition and limit consumer choice”, according to a report in Gulf Times.
Al Baker was quoted as saying: “US open skies agreements are about offering choice – the ability to fly with the airline you prefer, to regions that are under-served by US carriers.
“The Big Three do not compete with us on a single non-stop route. We serve markets in the Gulf region and Indian subcontinent that US carriers do not serve.
“The beneficial exchange of culture and commerce made possible by the US-Qatar open skies agreement must not be blocked by the Big Three merely because we have chosen to serve markets that they have ignored.”
