Qatar’s flag carrier - Qatar Airways - is operating from its hub Hamad International Airport, linking over 100 international destinations across all contents. With the reopening of the global travel, the airline continues to rebuild its networks using its largest fleet globally having flown consistently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
However, the successes achieved by Qatar Airways since its establishment were and still bother many of its competitors, therefore, since the imposition of the blockade on the State of Qatar by its neighbours, the flag carrier has become their major target.
The decision of the blockading states to prevent Qatar Airways from operating in their countries and flying over their airspace was aimed to hinder its growth and its continued expansion linking hundreds of major destinations over the globe. No doubt that the step was a clear breach of civil aviation conventions and several binding agreements that the blockading countries are signatories to. Qatar Airways kept seeking justice through international arbitration to get compensation from the countries that imposed a blockade on Qatar on June 5, 2017.
As part of the principles of Qatari policy, Qatar Airways always takes all necessary efforts to resolve the crisis amicably through dialogue, but when it comes to a conclusion that the other party is not willing to settle differences, then the decision was taken to issue Notices of Arbitration and pursue all legal remedies to protect its rights and reputation. Therefore, a multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways, yesterday announced that it has brought claims in the English High Court against the Al Arabiya news channel relating to a video simulation published in August 2017 which purported to explain the effect of the illegal blockade on Qatar and Qatar Airways.
According to the airline, the Al Arabiya video included an animation which depicted a Qatar Airways aircraft being intercepted and potentially being shot down by a fighter jet in the context of the illegal blockade. The video was widely viewed worldwide, and caused a storm of media outrage at the time. It was produced in an attempt to mislead people and deter customers from flying with Qatar Airways, being part of a series of politically motivated anti-Qatar publications by Al Arabiya news channel.
In a judgement after following the service of extensive evidence and a three-day court hearing, the English High Court dismissed Al Arabiya’s application to contest the jurisdiction of the English court to hear the claims.
“Qatar Airways is determined to protect its business from spurious and politically motivated attacks such as this, and we have confidence that the English High Court will deliver justice in this dispute. This judgement is welcomed and it is an important step forward for Qatar Airways in its quest for justice,” said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, commenting on the judgement.
