Dubai: Emirates and Qatar Airways have said soon-to-be former Air France-KLM chief executive Alexandre de Juniac won’t be able to play favourites when he becomes the head of the global airline body the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
IATA announced this month that de Juniac would take over in June from current head Tony Tyler for a five-year term as director general.
The appointment still needs to be formalised at the body’s annual meet in the first week of June though that is expected to be little more than a formality.
De Juniace takes over at the tail end of a difficult period for the body where some of its largest members in Europe and the United States have called for government intervention to stop fast growing Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, who they allege are state subsidised.
An allegation all three carriers have denied.
“He should be a neutral representative … IATA is about all the airlines,” Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, told Gulf News in an interview in Dubai at the Arabian Travel Market on Tuesday.
As head of Air France-KLM, one of Europe’s largest carriers, de Juniac asked the European Union to consider new measures that could impede the Gulf airlines.
At IATA, he will be responsible for finding an accord among all of the body’s 260 airline members.
“We want leaders that will stand up and be counted in the interest of the entire aviation industry, not a particular bloc of the airline group,” Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker told reporters earlier at the Arabian Travel Market.
Al Baker, who sits on IATA’s board of governors, said he asked de Juniac about his stance on the Gulf carriers when he interviewed him for the role.
“He has assured me [that] he will be a leader for all airlines,” he said warning that de Juniac could be forced out if there were any hints of him playing favourites.
“We have made sure that IATA DGs (director generals) will be absolutely accountable,” he said.
Emirates and Qatar Airways are also waiting to see whether the US government will take any action against them after 16 months of lobbying by America, Delta and the United. The three US carriers also want the Gulf carriers stopped from adding more flights to the US due to the state subsidy allegations.
Al Baker said his airline has not received any notice of a decision from the US government over the allegations.
“I’m sure there is on a diplomatic level but we have not heard anything,” he said.
Shaikh Ahmad also said his airline had not heard anything.
“The ball is in the American court at the White House. We didn’t hear anything so far,” he said.
