Qatar Airways CEO departs IATA AGM as Gulf row escalates

Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, Saudia, Gulf Air, flydubai and Air Arabia were among the airlines that ceased flights to Qatar, effective June 5, after Middle East states surrounding Qatar severed diplomatic links with the country and closed neighboring airspace. Doha-based Qatar Airways suspended flights to Saudi Arabia. Early Monday, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt announced they were breaking diplomatic relations with Qatar and instructed their nationals to leave the emirate within 14 days. The announcement coincided with Monday’s opening of the IATA AGM in Cancun, where the world’s airline CEOs and senior executives are gathered. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al Baker was among those attending the event and he was seen at the AGM’s opening reception Sunday evening chatting with fellow guests and seemingly not aware of the imminent crisis. On Monday morning, he left Cancun on a private business jet, several other airline executives attending the AGM told ATW. “This new scenario also means that Qatar Airways will have to do a lot of detour flights because it will be not allowed to fly over those countries like Saudi Arabia,” one executive said. IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac responded, “We are not in favor of bans and we would like to see connectivity restored as soon as possible.”<br/>