Al Baker’s comments on Tuesday is the latest in a worsening spate in relations with Qantas, which has a joint venture with Qatar Airways’ Dubai-based rival Emirates.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker has renewed his threat to abandon the Oneworld global airline alliance, referring to a letter he said Australian partner Qantas Airways had sent to staff attacking his carrier’s expansion in Australia.
Al Baker’s comments on Tuesday is the latest in a worsening spate in relations with Qantas, which has a joint venture with Qatar Airways’ Dubai-based rival Emirates.
The CEO reiterated his comments from October, saying he could abandon Oneworld if other members fail to act “in the spirit” of the partnership.
Speaking at an International Air Transport Association conference in Madrid, Al Baker said that he did not see any point in continuing to stay part of Oneworld when other partners continue to see the airline as a threat, Bloomberg reported.
He added that Qatar Airway’s expansion on routes to Australia had been at the invitation of the country’s government.
The tensions coincide with Qatar’s battle against the effect of a blockade of its borders that is being led by Saudi Arabia, which includes the United Arab Emirates, where Dubai is located.
While the state-owned airline’s flight paths and routes have been restricted, it is succeeding despite the “illegal” measures, Al Baker said.
The airline holds stakes in British Airways-owner IAG SA, the biggest South American carrier Latam Airlines Group SA, and Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific. This holdings mean that Qatar “doesn’t need to be in an alliance,” Al Baker said.