Qatar concludes new air services arrangements with Ecuador, Georgia, Germany, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria and Uruguay

From the Civil Aviation Authority of Qatar and various media, announcements of new air services agreements between Qatar and:

• Ecuador - signed 21 March 2011
• Georgia - signed 15 February 2011
• Sudan - reported in February 2011 to have been signed
• Uruguay - negotiating mandate granted by Qatari Cabinet in February 2011

Qatar has also announced enhanced air services arrangements with:

• Germany - negotiations were held 6-7 July 2010 
• Sri Lanka - negotiations were held 8-10 August 2010 
• Syria - reported in October 2010

South Africa signs new MoU with Qatar boosting capacity for their airlines

On 28 October 2010 the Qatar News Agency announced that, following negotiations in Pretoria, South Africa and Qatar have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding quadrupling the flights available to the airlines of the two countries to 28 flights per week for each side.

Canada initials an air services agreement with Qatar

On 28 October 2010 the Qatar News Agency announced that, after three days of negotiations in Doha, Canada and Qatar have initialled an air services agreement that will allow Qatar Airways to operate three passenger flights and three cargo flights per week to Canada.

The Economist on Aviation in the Gulf

On 3 June 2010 The Economist published a briefing on Aviation in the Gulf "Rulers of the new silk road" and related editorial "Super-duper-connectors from the Gulf", focussing on the rise of network airlines Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, and their hub airports.

These airlines and airports, as well as enjoying the active support of their governments, are just about in the perfect geographic location for serving international air transport needs with ultra-long-haul aircraft. This is illustrated in a range chart centred on Dubai for the Boeing B777 family of aircraft.

On 10 June 2010 Airbus announced that Emirates had ordered a further 32 Airbus A380 aircraft to take its total order to 90 of these giant airliners. Jon Ostrower, in his excellent weblog FlightBlogger, on 10 June 2010 commented: "With RPK - the measurement of actual passenger traffic - set to double in the next 20 years, makes you wonder whether or not Emirates is hoping to carry it all themselves." Jon was joking wasn't he?

"Open skies" policy debated in Sri Lanka

On 18 April 2010 the Sunday Times from Columbo reported comments by the Sri Lankan President on the impact the previous government's "open skies" policy was having on Sri Lankan airlines, SriLankan and Mihan Air. The article suggests that there is a need to balance the interests of the airline industry with those of the tourism industry.

On 31 March 2010 the Daily Mirror reported on problems in the Sri Lanka-Qatar air services relationship while on 25 October 2009 the Sunday Times reported on problems in the Sri Lanka-Oman relationship.

Emirates Airline accuses Transport Canada

On 25 July 2009 the Toronto Star carried a report about the views Transport Canada has about Emirates Airline and the Emirates response which states that the department is making "slanderous" allegations. This story is being discussed in an aviation forum on Airliners.net. On 4 June 2009 the Financial Post reported Emirates CEO Tim Clark as saying the the Canadian government's approach was "ludicrous" and "protectionism of the worst kind." The Star carried an earlier report about lobbying by Emirates on 28 February 2009.

My read of the situation is that my Canadian counterparts are grappling with one of the more fundamental aeropolitical dilemmas of the last decade - how should governments (it is governments that exchange the air rights on a reciprocal basis) respond the spectacular rise of airlines from the Gulf region? They are not alone.

The home countries of the Gulf carriers are putting together an impressive number of air services arrangements that the carriers can utilise, taking advantage of their geographic location between Europe, Asia and Africa, to exploit the sixth freedom opportunities that as a consequence become available.

Many of these Gulf carriers seem intent on gaining global market share at the expense of profitability, although financial information is simply not disclosed by airlines such as Qatar Airways and Etihad. Not having to pay tax and enjoying some of the cheapest landing fees in the world at their home airports no doubt helps, as does the fact that reciprocal rights for other airlines to serve the Gulf region are often of limited value.

As a consequence the Gulf carriers and their home airports now play a much larger role in their respective economies than is typically the case of international airlines in other countries.

Emirates currently operates 28 wide-body flights into New Zealand every week (see previous post).

Australia grants Qatar access to SYD

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on 7 March 2009 that Qatar has managed to negotiate with Australia immediate access to Sydney (SYD) for Qatar Airways. Further details were announced UPDATED by the Australian Minister for Infrastructure on 12 March 2009.

Qatar had originally be granted access to a number of other Australian cities, including Melbourne, but Qatar Airways had not used these rights (see previous post).

Meanwhile Singapore Airlines is reportedly continuing to feel frustrated by Australia's international air transport policy.

The United Arab Emirates concludes new air services arrangements with Romania, Qatar and Iran

The United Arab Emirates has concluded new air services arrangements with Romania (announced on 20 October 2008), Qatar (announced on 30 November 2008) and Iran (announced on 11 December 2008)(see previous post).

The latter two arrangements have capacity restrictions. Although that with Romania is described as "open skies" there is uncertainty about passenger capacity for fifth freedom services.

South Africa making progress implementing 2006 Airlift Strategy

A 23 June 2008 story in Business Day reports on South Africa's good progress in implementing its Airlift Strategy 2006 (see previous post). South Africa is reported to have recently negotiated new air services arrangements with the United Kingdom (a substantial capacity increase), Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Gambia and New Zealand. South Africa is also reported to be in negotiations with Australia, India and the Netherlands.

New Australia-Qatar Air Services Agreement

Articles in the International Herald Tribune, Age and the Herald Sun report on a 16 March 2007 Australian Transport Minister Mark Vaile announcement NEW of new air services arrangements between Australia and Qatar finalised in Doha the previous day. The capacity limits provide for a daily service to Melbourne by a Qatari airline and from 2008 an additional daily service to "another Australian city."

Qantas has released a media statement commenting on the implications of the new arrangements.

India-Qatar air services arrangements expanded

On 20 December 2006, in a new Memorandum of Understanding, India and Qatar agreed to an expansion of the routes and capacity available under their air services arrangements. On 21 December 2006 the Financial Express reported on what extra services Qatar Airways plans to provide to India. The subsequent announcement by the airline about its "huge" increase in services to India is available here.

Not only is there a significant market between India and the Gulf but also Qatar Airways is well placed to exercise sixth freedom rights to carry traffic between India and the European Union via Doha.