"Taking You More Candidly"
28 March 2006
Akbar Al Baker, CEO Qatar Airways
Reported by Jonathan Sharp
"Taking You More Candidly"
. . . refreshing thoughts from Qatar
In addition to citing the usual catalogue of reasons why travellers from the Middle East should visit the Far East, Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer of super-ambitious Qatar Airways, has come up with another attraction - although not one likely to be trumpeted from the rooftops by the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
In disarmingly matter-of-fact tones, he said tourists from his region are tending to gravitate to the Far East instead of, for instance, Europe, for one simple reason: "It is because Europeans label people from my area and the Middle East as terrorists, and they are not as welcome as they used to be in the past."
It's rare - and refreshing - to hear such candour about the T-word and racial stereotyping from the boss of an international airline. But Al Baker's views on what dictates tourist flows must be treated with respect: he has strong links with the international tourism industry.
Hong Kong has further great potential as a travel destination; he told a press conference following Qatar Airways' inaugural Airbus A330 Doha-Hong Kong flight.
Hong Kong is also the first Asian destination, Al Baker told a lavish gala dinner held later, to feature the airline's new inflight service, which has involved revamping everything from cabin interiors, menus, presentation style, service ethos and even seat fabrics.
The airline's other Greater China destinations, Beijing and Shanghai, are each served four times a week. But so convinced he is of the importance of the Hong Kong route, Qatar Airways has launched a daily service here with Airbus A330s, a more aggressive flight frequency policy than the airline's usual practice of growing a route gradually.
That said, nothing much that Qatar Airways does these days seems to be gradual. More like phenomenal. Under its aggressive expansion plans as one of the world's fastest growing airlines, Qatar Airways has grown at just under 40 percent annually for a straight eight-year period. Not bad for an airline that started business in 1994 as a regional carrier with just three vintage aircraft.
Growth is expected to "plateau" - Al Baker's word - at a mere 18-21 percent per annum in four or five years' time. Doha-Hong Kong is the airline's 70th route, and the number will rise to 80 by the end of this year, including the airline's first service to the United States.
Qatar Airways is taking delivery of one wide-body for its all-Airbus fleet every month, and it is a launch customer for the A380. Its fleet of 45 aircraft will jump to 110 by 2015.
So, a breakneck pace of growth, but not at the expense of safety and security. Al Baker is particularly proud that his airline, which he took over as CEO in 1997, was the first to pass the new IATA Operational Safety Audit with a maximum 100 percent compliance in 2003.
"When a regulatory body audits you and you are the first one, they really throw the book at you, and that is exactly what they did," he told the press conference. Three other international carriers, one of them in business for more than 50 years, failed the audit. Qatar Airways was re-audited successfully in 2005.
What of the competition? Al Baker can you give a baker's dozen of reasons to fly Qatar Airways, but its main selling pitch is its high standard of service and efficiency, for which it has won a string of accolades, including a Five-Star ranking from Skytrax ?one of only four carriers, which includes Cathay Pacific, to win such recognition.
Moreover, Al Baker reckons his carrier beats its Middle East rivals hands down over transit times for passengers stopping over in Gulf airports, saving several hours in total travel time. Of course, for Hong Kong-Europe routes, he is up against carriers that fly direct.
However, he maintains that these airlines cannot meet the total demand, and that passengers travelling between Hong Kong and Europe with a stop in the Gulf will face a maximum stopover of just two hours in Doha if they fly on Qatar Airways.
What about price? Al Baker says Qatar Airways is not in the business of slashing fares to gain market share. "We are a quality airline. Our prices are reasonable, but we are not cheap."
Al Baker is also spearheading the development of the New Doha International Airport, due to open in phases from 2009. The layout bears a marked resemblance to - guess where - our own CLK.
blog comments powered by Disqus
