Dutch ditches niceties; freezes gulf carriers’ rights

Dutch ditches niceties; freezes gulf carriers’ rights

The Dutch government has weighed in on Open Skies debates by freezing traffic rights for Gulf carriers Emirates, Etihad and Qatar.

According to Aviation Daily, the Dutch secretary of transport decided the amount of flights serviced by Gulf carriers was over supplying market conditions.

Wilma Mansveld has since decided that two widebody flights a day from Dubai to Amsterdam did not correspond to market demand and has frozen Emirates to operate only one daily fight. Accordingly, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have been placed under similar restrictions.

“The government of the Netherlands wisely recognises the severity of these subsidies, which is a violation of Open Skies policy,” The Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, chief spokesperson, Jill Zuckman said in a statement, TravelPulse reports.

Following the restrictions, Qatar ceo Akbar Al Bakar has been reported by NL Times as saying it will not immediately retaliate, but reminded that trade is a “two-lane road”, and Dutch companies “should not expect many commercial contracts” from the Qatar government.

Al Baker along with his counterparts at Etihad and Emirates has continually objected strongly to arguments raised initially by US carriers that they received unfair subsidies.

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