Tuesday 1 May 2012

Qatar making a noise


Full article in JPG format: page 46/47 & page 48

Speaking at the Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi last month, Akbar al Baker, the chief executive of Qatar Airways, surprised no-one when he announced that the flag carrier expects to double in size by 2020. While that prediction would be met with derision if uttered by one of Europe or North America’s legacy airline bosses, Qatar has for years been staking its claim in the rising fortunes of the Gulf aviation market.

From its humble beginnings in 1994, when it started operations with a wet-leased Boeing 767, Qatar Airways has lived up to the emirate’s reputation for punching above its weight...