Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker speaking at the Aviation Club in London.
London: Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker has called on the British government to urgently address capacity constraints at London Heathrow to avoid a ‘catastrophic situation’ for the country’s economy. Al Baker was vocal in support for a third runway at the world’s busiest international airport to remain competitive with rival European airport hubs.
The government recently began a review to address the critical airport issues in south east England in the face of growing competition from airports in Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. Al Baker was giving a keynote address to a gathering of more than 250 global aviation industry professionals and media at the Aviation Club in London.
In his speech, Al Baker said the third runway debate ‘was not an option, but a necessity’ to overcome the capacity crunch Britain’s premier airport was currently facing.
“Heathrow is bursting at the seams and has already reached a critical point,” he said. “Already heading towards a double dip recession, the UK cannot afford to lose out on the huge benefits a third runway would bring to the economy in south east England and the country as a whole through the creation of more jobs and more business opportunities.” “No capacity increase will inevitably lead to further economic hardship with job losses and businesses closing down. “Heathrow is already losing out to European neighbouring hubs that have the resource to expand capacity.
Qatar Airways has been a huge investor at Heathrow over the years moving its operations to a dedicated, larger departures area in Terminal 4 and opening its first airport lounge outside Qatar with the official unveiling of the new Premium Lounge at T4, said Al Baker.
The Peninsula
