Airlines in energy-rich Gulf states do not have unfair advantages over their western rivals, the head of Qatar Airways has claimed.
The airline’s chief executive Akbar Al Baker said claims made by the Association of European Airlines about the dramatic rise of Gulf carriers were “factually incorrect and unfounded”.
In a recent speech to the International Aviation Club in Washington, AEA secretary general Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus criticised Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar for developing aviation hubs so close together.
However Al Baker said this was “quite common” and said Paris, Amsterdam and London were comparably close.
“Therefore, having three major hubs within a 280 mile radius is not a novelty in aviation.”
Schulte-Strathaus also criticised the UAE and Qatar governments for considering airlines as part of their national development strategy. Al Baker said this had been “the norm” in other countries and added that the US government had bailed out its airline industry after the September 11 attacks while others restricted access to airports on competition grounds.
Al Baker added: “The European airlines were pioneers in a large number of areas. We in the Gulf airlines community have learnt a lot from them. They should accept competition and the customer being in the driver’s seat.”