News
Emirates’ new business class disappoints and Boeing says Turkish Airlines “a threat” to Gulf carriers
March 11th 2016
Turkish Airlines’ significant growth over the past decade meant it is becoming an emerging threat to the the Big Three Gulf carriers, Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, said Boeing International president, Bertrand-Marc Allen. Read More »
“The UAE airlines started with a focus on this global hub strategy that was differentiated, but I think that Turkey (Turkish) is starting to rival [them],” said Allen, and added Turkey represented a significant opportunity that has “plainly got the capability, the geographic positioning, the population and the culture to be a success and to be the source of a lot of growth over the next 20 years.”
Turkey’s population of 80 million dwarfs the UAE’s nine million. Istanbul is an ideal transfer point on global routes, reducing flight time and introducing the flexibility of a variety of aircraft of diverse capacity. Using Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport, Europe’s third busiest airport after London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle and ahead of Frankfurt Airport, as a hub allows Turkish Airlines to utilize a narrow-body fleet; a considerable cost advantage that contributes to its competitive effectiveness.
Financially, Turkish Airlines is stronger than ever after reporting a record $1.1 billion profit in 2015, having carried some 61.2 million passengers to 284 destinations. In comparison, Emirates serves 134 destinations, and flew 49.3 million passengers through its hub in Dubai last year.
On Wednesday, Emirates unveiled its revamped business class at an industry exhibition in Berlin, to a lukewarm reception. Industry and consumer publications criticized Emirates’ decision to retain a 2-3-2 layout on the B777, with many describing the middle seat as “coffin-like” and with little privacy.
Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker, will surely receive better feedback when he presents his new Qatar Airways “super business class” product to the world in November, ahead of a December rollout. At the launch of the carrier’s Sydney route, Al Baker confirmed to Australian Business Traveller the Doha carrier would introduce a semi-private sliding door on its incoming long-haul aircraft.
“I really feel that private suites have become a bit claustrophobic, so when we are designing our new business class product we are making sure it is not,” said Al Baker.
In separate news, Qatar Airways has announced it would launch flights to Chiang Mai and Krabi this year as well as to ten European and African destinations.
