DOHA: The chief of Qatar Airways has turned downed rivals’ claim that the carriers had received $42 billion subsidies to wrest business away from competitors.
Responding the claims at an arts conference in Doha, Akbar al-Baker said that rivals Delta Air Lines is flying “crap” older planes. He said any money his airline receives from the state is in the form of “legitimate” equity and added his company’s fleet of aircraft were much cleaner for the environment in comparison to Delta.
“I think Mr Anderson (CEO of Delta, Richard Anderson) doesn’t know the difference between equity and subsidy. We never receive any subsidy,” Baker said.
He was responding to claims made earlier this month by three US airlines – Delta, American and United – that Qatar, along with carriers in the United Arab Emirates have received $42 billion in unfair subsidies to wrest business away from competitors.
Baker also accused Delta of flying “crap airplanes that are 35 years old”, when talking about pollution by the aviation industry. In contrast, Baker said Qatar Airways had an “ultra-modern fleet” and was the lowest CO2 contributor in the aviation industry.
