Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International) CEO Akbar al Baker has called for the establishment of a joint venture between his carrier and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KL, Amsterdam Schiphol). Al Baker made the remarks during an interview with Dutch paper, Die Telegraaf, ahead of Qatar Airways' maiden Amsterdam Schiphol flight.
"By handling daily flights to and from the Gulf in a joint venture we can share income and costs," he said adding that the Amsterdam-Doha Hamad International market was big enough to support up to two daily flights between the carriers.
"There is room for both of us because of destinations in, for instance, India and the US to which passengers can transfer," he added.
Al Baker's comments come hardly a week after Dutch State Secretary of Infrastructure and the Environment, Wilma Mansveld, told a local news channel that her government would be curbing the growth of the ME3 carriers (Qatar Airways, Emirates (EK, Dubai International), and Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International)) at Amsterdam until it has clarified claims they have benefited from state subsidies to the detriment of local European legacy carriers such as KLM, Air France (AF, Paris CDG), and Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International).
The outspoken CEO further frayed tempers this week when he said Qatar would likely only offer lucrative contracts to countries which grant Qatar Airways take-off and landing slots.
"If you do not allow us to benefit in a small way by bringing flights, you should not expect commercial contracts from the government," he was quoted by the Reuters.
Earlier this month, François Hollande was forced to deny allegations in France's Le Monde newspaper which claimed the French government had been forced to grant Qatar Airways additional traffic rights to serve Lyon St. Exupéry and Nice in order to secure a EUR6.3 billion (USD7.1 billion) contract for Dassault Aviation (DAB, Paris Le Bourget) for twenty-four Rafale fight jets and associated sundries.
