News
Al Baker seeks “robust partnership” with American Airlines
November 18th 2016
Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker, this week said he was seeking a close partnership with oneworld fellow American Airlines (AA), similar to its collaboration with British Airways but without equity. Read More »
"I'm a businessman and I would be delighted to do this with American," he told CAPA. "I think the American Airlines administration has been misled by Delta Air Lines and I think in the long run they will realise that a partnership with Qatar Airways is a very robust business proposition for them."
Al Baker added that if a deal was struck between Qatar Airways and AA, he hopes the latter will terminate its existing ties with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways.
A Qatar Airways-AA tie-up would make sense, given both airlines are oneworld members and Qatar Airways holds a 20% stake in British Airways parent IAG. Plus, BA and AA have a long-standing transatlantic joint-venture in place.
Separately, the U.S. aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has fined the Doha-based carrier $185,000 for operating 16 AA-codeshared flights over Yemeni, Iraqi and Ukrainian airspace. The FAA prohibits its carriers from overflying these “conflict zones” and this includes codeshare services operated by partner carriers.
In other news, Qatar Airways and Al Baker are set on further expanding their global presence with investments in two foreign carriers in 2017. Industry experts have suggested the Qataris are keen to acquire a stake in India’s Air Costa (after preferred candidate, IndiGo Airlines, said it was not prepared to sell out at this stage) and Royal Air Maroc.
Qatar Airways earlier this year inked an agreement to take a 49% stake in Sardinia’s Meridiana Fly. Speaking at a recent media briefing in Florence, Al Baker said he hopes the difficult deal will be concluded by the end of January.
The outspoken airline boss said Meridiana still “has to deliver certain conditions and achieve certain targets in its performance,” adding he expects it “to be a very strong national carrier with a robust international network.”
Al Baker further noted that Qatar Airways will launch service to Florence once the local runway has been extended. Moreover, he intends to upgrade the carrier’s daily Doha-Pisa route from an A320 to a widebody jet as soon as it receives additional aircraft.
