In April of 2012, the battle for supremacy between the Middle East and the North America turned up to a fever pitch. Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways are battling each other to take as large a share of this rich, sizable market. For awhile, it seemed that Emirates had the upper hand, and my most measures, it does. However, then comes Qatar Airways’ CEO, Akbar Al Baker, showing some cards of his own. On a recent visit to Montreal, he is reported to have announced four new USA gateways. If this happens, Qatar Airways will have 8 North American gateways. So, let’s look how the competitors are stacking up.
- Emirates: Toronto, New York (JFK), Washington Dulles, Houston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Dallas-Ft. Worth
- Qatar Airways Montreal, New York (JFK), Washington Dulles, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, and Boston
- Etihad Airways: Toronto, New York (JFK), Washington Dulles, and Chicago
What is interesting here is that in this latest round of announcements, Qatar Airways has been avoiding the already established markets by Emirates. The most recent additions to the Emirates network in the US were San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Dallas-Ft. Worth. Qatar Airways has obviously skipped these in favour of Atlanta, Detroit, and Boston. Chicago, while already served by Etihad Airways, is apparently large enough for two Middle Eastern airlines. We personally believe Chicago can easily handle two competitors to the same region. The key will be connecting traffic that feeds the Chicago outbound. Whichever competitor can grab the highest number of connecting customers will be the winner there.
Whilst we believe Emirates has the market lead with its 8 North American gateways, we firmly believe that Qatar Airways is not far behind. The key advantage to Emirates is the size and frequency of its aircraft serving the markets. This advantage will remain in place for quite some time, as Emirates continues receiving its A380s. Etihad Airways, meanwhile, is present, but given its many projects around the world with its recent equity stakes in airlines based in the Seychelles, Ireland, and Germany, there is no question, their focuses are elsewhere. With all the new competition coming in this region, there is one sure winner… travelers.
What does all this mean for travelers flying long-haul between North America and points East? Long-haul international travelers can expect to find some juicy deals this year to and from the USA and Canada. We expect this to further expand an already significant travel market, and spurn further growth in Middle East aviation.
The post The Battle of 2012 and Who Will Win? Emirates, Qatar Airways, or Etihad? first appeared on Discover Global Bookings.
The post The Battle of 2012 and Who Will Win? Emirates, Qatar Airways, or Etihad? appeared first on Discover Global Bookings.