SINGAPORE // Airlines in the West should stop trying to block the expansion of their Gulf rivals, says the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
At an annual gathering of airline executives in Singapore yesterday, Giovanni Bisignani, the chief executive of the IATA, urged European and Canadian airlines to stop lobbying their governments to curb the growth of Gulf carriers, which include Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, and instead take what he called a more responsible approach to industry competition.
"The increasing tensions about the rapid growth of the Gulf carriers must be removed," Mr Bisignani said. "The solution to call in governments as advocates or as referees has not worked, and it won't work. As responsible leaders of this global industry we must find a fair way forward ourselves." In the past five years, carriers such as Air France, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Air Canada have been increasingly vocal in opposing the growth of the three largest Gulf airlines, which they contend are a threat. And while many delegates saw the Gulf airlines' growth as inevitable and a boon for consumers and the global economy, tensions still remained high at the Singapore gathering.
Robert Milton, the chief executive of ACE Aviation Holdings, which owns Air Canada, praised Gulf airlines for what he said were their superior product offerings and success in expanding. But he called the three Gulf carriers "the most protected airlines around" because they were state-owned and supported. "It hardly seems a fair match."
Gulf airlines were adding excessive capacity in markets such as Vienna, said Peter Malanik, the Austrian Airlines chief executive. He also accused Gulf governments of taking punitive steps against foreign companies, such as construction contractors, if their governments did not approve landing rights for airlines from the region. Tim Clark, the president of Emirates, said the rancour was unhealthy for the industry. "It is time they realised [Gulf airlines] are a fact of life and a fact of commercial economic reality, and so let's just get on with the job and stop trying to beat each other up," he said.
"The notion that we do not play according to the rules is not true," Mr Clark told the meeting of 700 airline executives. "I've said that for many, many years. Show me the evidence of that and I'd be very happy to give the truth on that."
In contrast to Air Canada, some rivals to the Gulf's long-haul carriers voiced their support.
"We've competed with Emirates for 26 years and I've got no problems with the way they operate," said Willie Walsh, the chief executive of IAG, the parent company of British Airways. "If there is an issue, it is one of jealousy. We would love to have support they have from their governments, and it is clear that in the Middle East, governments value the contribution that airlines make to their economies."
Alan Joyce, the chief executive of Qantas, said governments should put an end to protectionism. The Australian carrier had not asked for any help against Gulf airlines, he said.
"I'd be quite happy tomorrow if the whole world had open skies and we could fly the Qantas brand anywhere," he said, noting his own challenges in operating the desired number of flights to China and France.
However, criticism could increase in India, where airlines have also complained that Gulf carriers had an inordinate share of international traffic to and from the subcontinent.
"Right now, 70 per cent of international traffic in and out of India are served by foreign carriers," said Vijay Mallya, the chairman of Kingfisher Airlines.
"There is a clear imbalance there which needs to be addressed."
igale@thenational.ae
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Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
Gully Boy
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Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
Company%20Profile
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THE LIGHT
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Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
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Famous left-handers
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
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Andor
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Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
