Doha: A dispute over landing rights between the UAE and Canada has no sign of dissipating despite the thaw in diplomatic relations last year.
Air Canada’s chief executive, Calin Rovinescu, told reporters at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual meet held in Qatar last week that he would oppose any move by Etihad Airways or Emirates to increase their landing rights to Canada. “In our view the current frequencies are adequate to meet the point to point demand,” he said. Rovinescu was named chairman of IATA, a highly influential entity, this week.
Emirates and Etihad each operate three direct weekly services to Toronto. Executives from Emirates and Etihad have previously echoed their desire for greater access to Canada. Air Canada has a code-share agreement with Etihad.
Tensions between the two countries eased last year following a photo-op between Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird and UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at a Tim Horton’s café in Abu Dhabi. The UAE imposed visa restrictions on Canadians in 2010 following an unsuccessful bid to get its airlines more landing rights to Toronto. However, in 2013 the two foreign ministers agreed to a restoration of the visa regime that existed before the dispute.
When asked about greater access to Canada by Gulf News at the Dubai Airshow in November, Emirates president Tim Clark said, “I don’t see a breakthrough there. If countries do not wish Emirates in their countries, I am sorry but they will be the losers.”
