BBC StoryWorks Has Published an Exclusive Interview With Qatar Airways Group CEO, Akbar Al Baker
Geneva, 23rd April, 2021 - GOVERNMENTS SHOULD “UNIFY THEIR RESPONSE TO HEALTH REQUIREMENTS AND TRAVEL PASS REQUIREMENTS”
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH QATAR AIRWAYS GROUP CEO, AKBAR AL BAKER ON BBC.COM/CEOEDIT
INTERVIEW CLIP HERE MUST CREDIT BBC STORYWORKS
BBC StoryWorks has published an exclusive interview with Qatar Airways Group CEO, Akbar Al Baker. Mr Al Baker spoke about the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the airline industry and what the industry can do to become more sustainable.
He also criticised the “haphazard” travel systems put in place by governments around the world which is delaying the industry from restarting and called for governments to ‘unify their response to the health requirements and travel pass requirements’.
The full interview is available to watch online at www.bbc.com/ceoedit
Selected quotes below:
On whether the airline industry will ever return to pre-pandemic performance:
“Quite frankly, I think it will. But it will take time. It's not going to happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, unfortunately, due to the rising of the waves of the infection; some countries have second waves, some have third waves, some are expecting fourth waves. I think that when people will get complacent after getting a certain sector of the population is vaccinated, that the infection rates will start rising. People don't realise the severity and the aggressiveness of this pandemic. Once things settle down people will start travelling.”
On how governments can help the airline industry
“What is very important in my opinion, is that the governments unify their response to the health requirements and travel pass requirements. Unfortunately, governments all across the world have a haphazard way of putting systems in place which is confusing passengers, confusing the airlines and it is delaying the travel industry to start picking up.”
On what can be done in the industry to improve sustainability:
“It is important to note that the responsibility for growth in carbon neutral is not only on airlines, it is also on the OEMs, aircraft manufacturers, engine manufacturers, fuel manufacturers, fuel producers. For them also to chip in with investments, to make sure that we are able to achieve carbon neutral growth, including hopefully reduction, not only in carbon neutral, but the reduction in carbon emissions with technologies that need to be deployed. Unfortunately, the OEMs are very interested in making maximum profits, but not looking at the global warming problem.”
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