MIAMI: Qatar Airways’ chief executive officer yesterday called for the aviation industry’s largest trade group to address protectionism, hitting back against US airlines campaigning to restrict what they say is heavily subsidised competition from Gulf carriers.
US airlines are trying to persuade their government to alter the “Open Skies” agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, accusing them of lavishing their airlines with than $40bn in subsidies and distorting competition. Emirates , Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways deny the subsidy claims.
“Any rollback of liberal market access and Open Skies policies will reverberate across the whole world and will lead to retaliatory protectionism affecting all aspects of trade,” Qatar Airways’ CEO Akbar Al Baker said at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual meeting in Miami.
Reuters
