There is a lot of business out there for everyone, according to Akbar Al Baker, group CEO of the airline and chairman of Qatar Tourism.
The CEO of Qatar Airways said today that the company will work with and support Riyadh Air because there is enough business for everyone. He also wished the new airline luck.
Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker declared his firm was "excited for" Riyadh Air on the first day of the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai. Riyadh Air was publicly unveiled last month. However, he went on to say that there is no "cut-and-paste" approach to starting a profitable airline.
Al Baker claimed that when he took over as CEO of the airline based in Doha in 1997, his plan was to expand it to 35 aircraft and 35 destinations, but the company was first looked down upon due to the existence of two other big airlines, Gulf Air and Emirates. Currently, the company operates 260 aircraft serving 177 locations. When we reach the goal posts, Qatar Airways always moves them.
It will always be about how you run your company and what sort of leadership you have, he told media, adding that there is plenty of business available for everyone.
"You can always attract good individuals from airlines and hope to replicate the culture there, but it doesn't happen. Leadership, tenacity, vision, and of course support are all need for it to succeed.
If you lack a vision, you can still receive support. The difference between having a vision and not having a plan for how to get there is critical in a business. You can't just copy and paste someone else's plan into your own.
"One thing I can say is that we are really excited for Riyadh Air," he said in his closing remarks. "We wish them all the best. We will cooperate with them. We will assist them. Because we feel that relationships matter.
Under the auspices of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is actively working to diversify its economy. The country is concentrating on rapidly growing non-oil industries, such as tourism, with the goal of increasing its GDP to 10% and luring 100 million visitors.
In addition to publicly unveiling Riyadh Air this month, the monarchy announced a six-runway mega airport master plan for Riyadh last year.
Qatar Airways's growth
Al Baker claimed that 95% of the employees who had been let go by Qatar Airways as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak had already been rehired, and that there were already plans in place for more pilot and cabin crew hiring.
He said that the company was purchasing "a large number of aircraft" but declined to say how many. The airline now covers 177 locations, but that figure might rise to 190 if Boeing 787 aircraft are delivered this year.
Al Baker made eight new airline destinations official during the press announcement, along with the restart of 12 others, including Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
