Qatar Airways CEO says protectionism a ‘risk’ to aviation
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar al-Baker on Monday asked a meeting of the aviation industry’s largest trade group to reiterate its support of free and open market access, saying protectionism could lead to retaliation.
The plea comes as US airlines are trying to persuade their government to alter the “Open Skies” agreements it has with the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The US carriers accuse those two Gulf states of giving more than $40bn in subsidies to their airlines, 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,” al-Baker said at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual meeting in Miami.
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Source News: Gulf Times
