Page 34 - World Airnews Magazine May 2021 Edition

COMMERCIAL NEWS

QATAR MOVING FORWARD NBAA will be moving into the Las Vegas Convention

Centre's West Hall expansion for the 2021 BACE
that will be held in person on October 12-14

Travel agents are being looked after with
bonus commission while cargo services are
n a world where many airlines are providing a critical source of income.

Icutting back on flights and reduc- Fouad joined Qatar Airways in January
ing capacity, Qatar Airways is moving after more than 13 years with Emirates

forward, playing to its strengths to ride and said he was enticed by an effective

out the effects of the global coronavirus strategic system, flexible asset register and
pandemic. people-centric company culture.
One way it has done this in the South Fouad commended the carrier’s response
African market is by boosting capacity to the pandemic and its commitment to its
and by taking the needs of that market, global trade agreements.
and its travel agency partners, into con- “When you sign a treaty with the author-

sideration. ities of a country that says you are going to

Although a recent ban by British author- service so many flights, you service them.

ities on commercial flights from Qatar, You meet your responsibility. We have

(Somalia, Oman and Ethiopia too) is an- honoured ours in a situation when many
other spanner in the works, Qatar Airways others have suspended their responsibili-
is busy scaling up its operations in other ty,” he said.

markets, including South Africa, where it The vacuum in capacity has had serious

increased its weekly schedule to 28 flights implications for intermediaries, Fouad said.
per week. “If those agents don’t have seats to sell, it
The new South Africa timetable came means no money in their wallet. They are

into play last month with 28 weekly flights unable to pay their bills, salaries; unable to

between Doha and South Africa - three stick to their commitments. If those seats

weekly flights ex-DUR, seven ex-CPT and 18 aren’t in the market, then there’s no money While QR’s hub-and-spoke network con-

ex-JNB. in the market.” tinues to expand and contract as countries

Britain’s latest travel ban is reported to He described the Maldives as a “good attempt to control Covid-19 outbreaks,

be an attempt to avoid new variants of news” destination for 2021: “When bound- Fouad said the company is confidently plan-
coronavirus (Covid-19 aries start to reopen in Europe, you will ning while vaccine rollouts get underway,

see a flow there. We also love Thailand. As

Speaking about the airline’s recovery soon as Thailand re-opens, I can tell you and QR plans to operate to as many desti-

plans and sales strategy for the local mar- there will be a big pull.” nations on its route network as regulations NBAA: FULL STEAM AHEAD
and border closures will allow.
ket, QR’s regional manager for Southern Traditionally, the lion’s share of QR’s

Africa, Fouad Caunhye, said the carrier’s traffic in South Africa has come from a By mid-February, flights had resumed to

strategy was to leverage its mix of aircraft combination of ‘pure leisure’, religious and more than 130 of approximately 160 global By Kerry Lynch

and maintain as much of its operation and VFR traffic. destinations and new destinations intro-

network as possible during the global pan- duced this year include Seattle and Luanda.

demic, even if it meant that services were “We are very fortunate - we can afford to Fouad said, “While everyone else is hold- in Las Vegas. This year, that space concur- by creating a pledge for participants to

not always profitable, or popular. wait for corporate demand,” Fouad said. ing back, we are moving forward.” Q rently will be occupied by a different con- meet certain sustainable goals. Certain

BAA is ramping up on prepara- vention staged by the National Association initiatives that are still being ironed out

Nti ons for its fi rst live in-person of Broadcasters. but could include reduction in the use
Strong was encouraged by the early re-
convention to be held since the pandemic sponses to this year’s convention following of paper, recycling or managing food to

A high level took hold last year - the 2021 NBAA-BACE the toll that the pandemic has taken on eliminate waste.
Strong said such a programme would not
- with the exhibitor application deadlines

delegation having expired and 60 percent of space in-person events. All the major exhibitors be mandatory but exhibitors might meet
are returning, he said, and a handful of

already booked. OEMs are preparing to “make a big splash,” some of the goals initially built on this in

A high-level delegation Speaking during a recent webinar Chris future years.
led by Maltese prime Strong, senior vice president of conven- mock ups that will be brought on display. The event will be held in accordance with

minister Robert Abela, left tions and membership for NBAA, said the As in past years, the static display is prevailing health and safety guidelines.

Malta for Mitiga Airport planned to take place at the Henderson Given that “it’s a bit of a moving target

in Libya recently using this feedback NBAA is getting for the October Executive Airport about 13 miles south of at this point,” Strong said some of these

event in Las Vegas, is ‘the timing is right’
NyxAir Saab 340A. The and ‘we are optimistic we will be in a posi- Las Vegas. guidelines will be posted in about 100

aircraft flew in the day tion to have a very safe show’. Meanwhile, some 87 percent of those days. The biggest challenge, he said, is

before from Bratislava. The responding to an earlier attendees survey on the international side and working

twin turboprop brought While Las Vegas has become a biennial said they would return to live events when through issues to help enable attendees

back the delegation location for the association’s hallmark the pandemic eases, 75 percent said they from outside the US.

after 3pm on the same event, it will have a new look this year do not anticipate travel restrictions at that Dr. Matt Friedman, the medical director

day as NYX7513. because the convention will be housed in time, and 90 percent said the rollout of

the (US) $980 million West Hall expansion vaccinations was giving them confidence. for CrowdRx which is helping NBAA manage

that added 1.4 million feet² of convention- NBAA plans to follow up with a subsequent the health and safety protocols, said no
Photo by: Mario Caruana al space, including 600,000 feet ² of exhibit survey in upcoming weeks. decision has been made at this point about

related guidelines for show attendees. Q

/ MAviO News floor space that will enable the entire show Also new this year will be a sustainabil-
to be housed in a single hall. ity pledge. Strong said trade shows are

Previously, NBAA exhibitors had been “notoriously not sustainable” but the Article courtesy: https://www.ainonline.

split between the North and Central Halls NBAA is hoping to take a leadership role com/aviation-news/
World Airnews | May 2021 World Airnews | May 2021
— 34 — — 35 —