DOHA, Qatar – The airline industry shares the confidence that Boeing will successfully resolve all problems in the Dreamliner 787 aircraft soon and it will be soon in service with leading airlines around the world, a top airline executive said in an interview.
Boeing had delivered just 50 of the jets when lithium-ion batteries on two of the planes caught fire. The two incidents, one in the US another in Japan, had triggered a global grounding for the Dreamliner.
Willie Walsh is a man who wears many hats. Not only is the successful Irish businessman the president of London Chamber of Commerce (LCCI), he is also the chief executive of the International Airlines Group, which is the parent company of British Airways and Iberia.
In the interview in Doha Walsh said he had no doubts that Boeing would sort out the problems with the Dreamliner. โWe ordered an additional 18 787s just a couple of weeks ago, so in total we now have ordered 42 Dreamliner aircraft,โ he said. The first aircraft is due for delivery next month as soon as the expected clearance from the FAA comes through.
He said his confidence was shared by other leading airline executives as well. โAkbar [CEO, Qatar Airways] too has made comments that heโs looking forward to taking delivery of his aircraft by the end of next month. That reflects the confidence the industry has in Boeing,โ he added.
Walsh has been visiting Doha for discussions with Qatar Airways about its joining the Oneworld alliances, which is one of the worldโs three largest global airline group.
Last year in October, American Airlines and British Airways announced that Qatar Airways would join their Oneworld alliance, giving them access to one of the worldโs fastest-growing airlines and a modern hub in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Walsh said that he was โdelightedโ that Qatar Airways had accepted the invitation to join the alliance and informed that later this year the Qatari airline was expected to become a โfull member.โ
Speaking about the importance of this alliance, he said โWe recognise that the development of carriers in the Gulf has been truly amazing. Theyโve developed networks from the hub of airports that reach parts of the world that we will never be able to serve directly by ourselves. So, to be able to access markets through a partner like Qatar Airways is very important to us. And they have a reputation of being one of the best airlines in the world. Their service is excellent.โ
British Airways is looking for Qatarโs network into India. The British airline does not have a domestic partner in the Indian market. With the alliance, the airline can serve into many points in India through Doha as a gateway.
About the advantages Qatar Airways will have through Oneworld alliance, the IAG chief executive said that the Qatari airline has been developing its international network, expanding to North America for example, where it can benefit from having a partner in the US domestic market that will give them access to a wider market in the West.
Similarly Qatar Airways will be able to connect into British Airwaysโ domestic and European network and long haul over Heathrow airport to access markets that they are not serving directly themselves.
โItโs a way of serving in a number of growing and strategic markets, where we donโt have the opportunity to fly directly,โ he said.
About the importance of the new airport being built in Doha, he said โI think the new Doha International Airport is absolutely essential. The current airport is currently full. In 2001, Doha served 2.8 million passengers, last year it was 21 million. And that too from an airport that is not designed to handle 21mn passengers.โ
He lauded the design of the new airport. โIโve visited the new airport on two occasions as it was being developed. I think itโs fantastic. Like all major infrastructures, at airports in particular, it is a difficult process and Iโve no doubt itโll be a success. I think the design of the airport is future proof. It is designed to cater to 50mn passengers. I think for the future of Doha and Qatar, it is very important to have a modern international airport that reflects the ambition of the country. Quality of the airport is world class. Premium terminal has been rated the best in the world.โ
About trade cooperation between UK and Qatar, Walsh said there was a significant opportunity to increase the current level.
โQatarโs economy is growing at a significant pace and is likely to grow in the future. Itโs fundamentally sound on the back of the huge natural oil and gas resources. Itโs a huge market for UK business,โ he said.
He said that one of the problems in the UK and European economies was that the growth had been very weak. Therefore, people had been looking elsewhere to see if they could grow their presence. โโLook at fast growing marketsโ is what weโre telling our companies. Qatar is one of those. Be it services, traditional infrastructure, IT โ you name it, weโve got the expertise.โ
The historical links between the UK and Qatar are strong, cemented by the State Visit of His Highness, the Emir of Qatar to the UK in October 2010.
In 2011, bilateral trade in goods and services reached nearly ยฃ6.6bn, a 71% increase on 2010. UK visible exports rose from ยฃ990m in 2010 to ยฃ1.12bn in 2011 โ a 14 % increase (against a Middle East average increase of 6%). Exports further increased to 18% after the first eleven months of 2012. This growth is in step with the increasing demand for UK goods in Qatar, which has seen exports rise from ยฃ363m in 2005 to present day levels. Also, the latest figures for trade in services (2011) show an increase in exports to ยฃ569m, up from ยฃ504m in 2010.
โThe best way to develop and enhance cooperation is travelling and meeting people face to face, in our experience,โ he added.