Qatar Airways to be completely privatised by 2027, says Akbar Al Baker
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker told France’s La Tribune (French language) newspaper that he expected the airlines to be privatized within the next 10 years.
However, he said the move will take place only after Qatar Airways is ‘in a position of strength,’ reported ch-aviation.com. In the interview with the French paper, he also valued the state-owned carrier at ‘more than $10bn.’
Qatar Airways had once announced an IPO in 2010, but scrapped the plans after the global financial crisis hit. The crisis also delayed the carrier from achieving its break-even point.
This announcement comes at a time when European and Amercian airlines have upped the ante against Gulf carriers getting state support and subsequently undercutting them in their own markets.
However, Qatar Airways have denied that they have received undue support from the state.
Customer service also matters. Gulf Carriers tend to dominate wins on international travel award events and this is very evident from the service quality they provide. However, the strongest advantage I think they have is that being located in a central hub to connect East and West.
And USA forgets the amount of subsidy it gives to agriculture sector.
The ongoing dispute with mainly US carriers needs to be resolved.. I personaly am on the side of the Gulf Carriers - All nations have offered some sort of support to their carriers